The Canary Islands Health Department have now registered three deaths, all people with previous underlying health conditions

The Ministry of Health daily report confirmed this Wednesday a cumulative total of 181 cases of coronavirus COVID-19 confirmed in the Canary Islands Region.

Numbers are rising all the time, and this is latest available official count, as of 20:00 the day previous to being reported, indicated in the orders issued March 15, regarding the adoption of provisions and measures to contain and forward information to The Ministry of Health, in the face of the health crisis caused by COVID-19.

181 cases have been confirmed throughout the Canary Islands, of which 73 people have been hospitalised; 17 in critical care beds (ICU, REA, etc.); 8 cases discharged and 3 deaths. Over the last 24 hours there have been 36 new cases confirmed. On Monday the 16th there were an accumulated toal of 148 cases and by 8pm on Tuesday the 17th we have had 181 positives declared.

Three people have died all of whom had previous underlying conditions. The last case reported on Tuesday is of a woman between 30 to 40 years of age, with various previous pathologies, who died at the University Hospital of the Canary Islands, where she had been admitted to intensive care.

So far 1,557 PCR diagnostic tests have been carried out throughout the Autonomous Community.

Tenerife has thus far confirmed 119 accumulated cases; Gran Canaria, 45; La Gomera, 3; La Palma, 5; Fuerteventura, 6 cases and Lanzarote, 3 *. Yesterday there were 7 accumulated cases on this island and, after new tests, 3 false negatives and one indeterminate test were obtained, so four cases are subtracted.

  03/16/20 03/17/20
TOTAL 148 181
TENERIFE 92 119
GRAN CANARIA 36 45
FUERTEVENTURA 6 6
LANZAROTE 7 3*
THE PALM 5 5
LA GOMERA 3 3
THE IRON 0 0
LA GRACIOSA 0 0

Coronavirus hotline

For the sake of better care provision, the population is asked to use all resources rationally.

The coronavirus service telephone number enabled by the Ministry of Health is 900 112 061. This line has been staffed by a range of nurses and other healthcare professionals to assist all those who have symptoms (such as cough, fever, headache, etc.) and who may have been in contact with people who have travelled to risky areas such as Madrid, the Basque Country or Italy.

From that phone line all testing needs will be assessed and managed.

The 1-1-2 phone is for emergencies only.

Need to donate blood

The Canary Institute of Hemodonation and Hemotherapy (ICHH) have emphasised the importance of donating blood in order to maintain the reserves necessary for health needs, as blood expires and demand is expected to increase over coming days.

Source: Canary Islands Government News Portal

Extra Note: People who lived in the UK for six months or more between 1980 and 1996 can not donate blood here because of guidance regarding bovine spongiform encephalopathy ‘Mad cow disease’