Covid-19: what indicators are the United Kingdom and Spain relying on to lift the restrictions?

Two months after the appearance of the Omicron variant, the time has come for the restrictions to be lifted. This Thursday, the government could announce a timetable for the gradual end of the measures taken to stem the fifth wave. Abroad, some countries have already taken the plunge. This is particularly the case in the United Kingdom, which no longer recommends teleworking, and which will no longer impose the mask or the health pass from next week. For its part, Spain plans to treat Covid-19 as a disease “endemic”, by changing its health strategy.

Several indicators may justify this reversal of the situation. Across the Channel, the data in health establishments are reassuring. According to OurWorldInData, the number of new admissions to UK hospitals has been on a downward trend since the start of January. The curve is similar for the number of people admitted to intensive care. About 700 patients were in these services on January 20, against more than 900 at the beginning of the year.

In terms of contamination, the hardest also seems to be behind the United Kingdom. According to the same source, the peak of the fifth wave was reached on January 5. Since then, the number of cases has continued to decline.

In Spain, the situation is not so encouraging. In care services, the number of hospital admissions continues to rise, and has now reached a higher level than during the second wave, in November 2020. In intensive care, no drop is visible, despite a trend stabilization of the most serious cases.

However, contamination could also have reached its highest level in recent days. According to the most recent indicators, the incidence rate has been slightly decreasing for a week. Spain can also count on very high vaccination coverage. With 90.5% of over-12s fully immunized, the country has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. What to anticipate, gradually, a return to normal life.