Embassy: Traveling is safe to Spain, as long as rules are observed

Spanish Embassy in Bucharest on Friday said that increased COVID-19 incidence rate in this country in the recent day is "negative" news, but that the indicator should be taken into account in the current context of the epidemiological situation, which is "positive" at the global level, due to the advance of the vaccination campaign, which means that Spain remains a "safe" tourist destination, and ready "to offer visitors a pleasant experience, and safe and sure conditions."

According to a note of the diplomatic mission, the cumulated incidence rate became the reference scale in the first part of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the capacity to measure new infections through tests increased, which must not be interpreted "the same" now, when it "predominantly" affects the younger population among which many cases of infections are "mild, even without symptoms."

"This means that the increase in the number of infections doesn't translate through an increase in the total number of patients admitted to hospital. Starting with July 7, the number of patients who were admitted to the hospital because of a COVID infection dropped by 31 percent against the previous months. The number of ICU beds given to COVID patients has also dropped against June 5 (6.55pct compared to 11.79pct) despite the fact that, at that point, the cumulated incidence for 14 days was smaller. The current numbers (2,829 patients hospitalized with coronavirus, among whom 598 in ICU) show an occupation rate of 2.35pct of available beds and 6.55pct of the ICU beds, while in January 2021 the cumulated incidence was similar to the current one with 23pct of the beds in hospitals being given to coronavirus patients and 40pct of the ICU beds," showed the same source.

According to him, the number of deaths recorded because of coronavirus infections in the past seven days (39 deaths) was "much smaller" than the one recorded in January (1,369 deaths).

the Spanish Embassy also added that, despite the increases recorded in the infection rate among the younger population, the death rate in the past 14 days per one million inhabitants was smaller in this country than in the neighbouring countries like France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Ireland, Greece or Croatia, which reported less infection per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the ECDC data.

Thus, "traveling to Spain, while following the established rules, is safe," the diplomatic mission said.

On Thursday, the National Committee for Emergency Situations updated the list of countries/territories with a high epidemiological risk in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, Spain, along with Portugal, the Netherlands, Andorra, Georgia, and Malaysia entering the red zone.