By Andrew Atkinson

The Minister of Health, Ana Barceló, announced on Tuesday that the Valencian Government will not submit a request for autonomy to go to Phase 2 of the lack of confinement next Monday

The Generalitat has decided, out of prudence and responsibility, not to ask the Ministry of Health that the three provinces of the Valencian Community pass to Phase 2 of the de-escalation COVID-19 plan from May 25 La Comunitat Valenciana no pedirá pasar a la Fase 2 esta semana “por el sentido de prudencia”

In her opinion, now “the worst thing that can happen is that we go backwards” so we must ensure that this “does not lead to more transmission” and as such “we prefer to wait another week.”

The latest data on the pandemic in the Community, in which he said that 14 of the 24 health departments in the region have only two days in phase 1 (10 have been applicable since May 11) and that there has been a slight rise in the rate of reproduction of the coronavirus, from 0.66 to 0.85%.

“The data is going well, they are good,” was the comment, after confirming that in the last 24 hours (May 18-19) there had been six deaths, 215 discharges and 16 new positive cases confirmed by PCR.

“It is a thoughtful decision” and based on protecting the health of Valencians, according to Barceló: “We want to all go out together” in phase, with responsibility.

Both the President of the Generalitat, Ximo Puig, and Barceló had announced the intention of the Valencian Government to ask the Ministry of Health that the three provinces of the Community, the new population criterion to pass the phase in front of the departments health that were taken into account to get out of phase 0, enjoyed as of Monday 25 of Phase 2.

A spokesperson from Los Montesinos Alicante in the Vega Baja, said: “Los Montesinos will continue in Phase 1, until at least May 31, inclusive.”