Spain's infection rate drops for first time in Omicron wave

19/1/2022 6:25

        Spain's coronavirus infection rate dropped for the first time in two and a half months, health ministry data showed on Tuesday, suggesting the Omicron
        variant's rapid-fire advance may be slowing.
        
        Even as Spain reported over 94,400 new cases, the rate as measured over the preceding 14 days fell to 3,306 cases per 100,000 people from a record 3,397 cases on Wednesday, the first decline since Nov. 2 when it was below 50.
        
        The seven-day rate fell even more sharply, to 1,522 from 1,657 per 100,000.
        
        Infections had climbed without interruption amid mass testing, turbo-charged by Omicron's elevated transmissibility and large swathes of the population mixing over Christmas. Hospital admissions remain well below those seen in earlier waves, however, thanks to Spain's high vaccination rates.