The number of coronavirus infections in Spain since the beginning of the pandemic has risen to 8,093,036.
Since the previous day, 65,937 new cases have been registered in the country of 47 million inhabitants, the Health Ministry in Madrid announced on Friday.
The seven-day incidence rate of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants rose from 1,482.63 to 1,654.91.
However, despite the high number of cases - triggered by the dominant Omicron variant - hospital occupancy rates barely increased in recent days.
According to the report, 14% of all hospital beds were occupied by Covid-19 patients, while the figure for intensive care unit beds was 23.62%. A week ago, it was 22.06%.
Experts say this is down to Spain's relatively high vaccination rate. According to official data, 84.92% of the population have received at least one vaccination, 80.46% two vaccinations or one from Johnson&Johnson, where basic immunization requires only one vaccination, and 35.48% a booster.
There is no major resistance to vaccination in Spain, as there is in some other European countries such as Germany and Austria, so no compulsory vaccination is being considered.
Transition
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez reiterated on Friday his call to prepare for the transition from a pandemic to an endemic disease.
To this end, "bridges must be designed" now, Sanchez stressed. However, such a process could only begin after the current sixth coronavirus wave had subsided.
It must be approached with the necessary "scientific rigour" and is not a matter that can happen "from one day to the next."
However, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday called such plans premature, saying the evolution of the virus was difficult to predict.
