Denia UCI on verge of 100% capacity as hospital looks to open 2nd critical wing

Denia’s intensive care unit (UCI) for critical COVID-19 patients is nearing 100% capacity – the Marina Salud hospital services the entire Marina Alta region.

Denia hospital is looking to expand its UCI capacity in a second wing, after its existing unit is nearing saturation.

Denia’s UCI supervisor told local radio station La Veu d’Ondara the hospital is reaching its worst moment during the COVID-19 second wave.

Vicent Salvà said the second wing would cater for both COVID-19 patients and those suffering other pathologies.

The new beds are part of a special plan Denia hospital is charting up in the event of a sudden increase in cases.

Another measure the hospital is looking at will include renewing contracts for support staff, as happened in March, according to local news website La Marina Plaza.

Fatalites on the rise

Figures published on Wednesday by the Valencian health department, Sanitat, recorded four deaths in the Marina Alta between last Friday to Monday.

The COVID-19-related deaths were two in Teulada, one Calp and one in Benissa.

This is the same number of deaths recorded in the Marina Alta in the previous 42 days during the second wave – Denia’s health department has recorded a total of 34 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.

The 34 deaths recorded make for a rate of 19.8 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in the Marina Alta – the 3rd-lowest rate of the Valencian Community’s 24 health depratments.

Denia hospital diagnoses 199 COVID-19 cases over the last 14 days, bringing the total since the pandemic started to 1,725.

Accumualted Incidence

Teulada-Moraira is the municipality with the highest accumulated incidence in Denia’s health department.

The 20 COVID-19 diagnoses recorded over the last 14 days make for an AI of 180 per 100,000 inhabitants.

This would put the municipality on an ‘alto’ level-3 alert, according to Spain’s four-tier alert system.

You can see COVID-19 stats by municipality on a Valencian government interactive map here.