The Generalitat will terminate the contract with Ferrovial to track the coronavirus in Catalonia

The Generalitat will terminate on January 31 the controversial contract with Ferroser Auxiliary Services, subsidiary of Ferrovial, for tracking coronavirus cases in Catalonia. From then on, the Public Health Agency Autonomic will assume the management of the control of the close contacts of patients diagnosed with Covid.

As the Secretary General of Health explained today, Marc Ramentol, the termination of the agreement does not imply the payment of compensation because it was provided for in the contractual clauses. He number of of the counseling of Alba Vergà © s has argued that the new stage started with the vaccination process is the reason why the Government will launch a new “comprehensive tracking system” that will have “more agility”. The plan of Health Department will have a budget of 19 million euros by means of which between 450 and 750 people.

In the first stage of the pandemic, the Generalitat decided to outsource the tracing through non-competitive contracting based on the state of alarm regulations, which allowed it to be done as a matter of urgency. The choice of Ferrovial, the company involved in the ‘Palau case’, was highly criticized by groups of health professionals, who considered that this function should be carried out from the public sector. The plenary session of Parliament It also urged, last June, that the Government rescind that agreement, valued at more than 17 million euros.

At the same press conference it was expected that the Catalan Executive could announce new restrictions to contain coronavirus infections. However, after the meeting of the technical committee of the Civil Protection Plan of Catalonia (Procicat), the Generalitat has ruled out modifying the measures implemented last week for the Christmas festivities and has limited itself to recommending the reduction of social interaction in Christmas celebrations. New Years Eve and New Years. The regions of the Cerdanya and the RipollÚs They are still under an extraordinary confinement of 15 days, since last December 23, due to the high number of infections in recent weeks.

Covid data

Before the appearance led by Vergà © s and the counselor of Interior, Miquel Sà mper, it had been speculated with a possible advance of the curfew on New Years Eve (established at one in the morning) or changes in the opening hours of bars and restaurants, as experts fear the impact of Christmas on the epidemiological curve.

Catalonia has registered 387,272 cases of coronavirus until Monday (353,522 diagnosed through tests PCR a test of antígenos), which is 973 more than in the count on Sunday, as reported this morning by the Department of Health. The death toll stands at 16,888 (26 more than yesterday).

The playback speed virus (the number of infections that each infected person can produce) has decreased, but remains above 1 (1.16), while cumulative incidence in the last 14 days it is 341.75 per 100,000 inhabitants. The rate of risk of regrowthOn the other hand, it has risen: on Sunday it reached a level of 374 and today it stands at 377 (from 100 the risk is already considered high).

In Catalan hospitals there are currently 337 patients admitted to intensive care units (FIA), the same figure as in the previous report from the department.