Coronavirus: Friday bulletin on case numbers in the Canton of Basel-Stadt

As of Friday, 12 February 2021, 10:50, the Department of Health Basel-Stadt had recorded a total of 9615 positive cases among people living in the Canton of Basel-Stadt since the start of the pandemic, 211 active cases in isolation and 1544 people in quarantine. The 7-day notification rate per 100,000 residents is 84 (CH: 81), the 14-day notification rate is 172 (CH: 204). In total 16233 vaccination doses have so far been administered in Basel-Stadt. 4770 people have been fully vaccinated with the first and second doses of the vaccine.

Of the 211 active cases, 19 residents of the Canton of Basel-Stadt are in hospital. In addition, twelve people from outside the canton or abroad are being treated in hospital in the Canton of Basel-Stadt. Of the total of 31 people in hospital, nine require intensive care.

The total of 9615 cases of infection in the Canton of Basel-Stadt since the start of the pandemic consists of 9216 recoveries, 188 deaths and 211 active cases. There have been 62 new cases of infection, but no further individuals have died as a result of Covid-19 since the last bulletin on Tuesday, 9 February 2021.

Information about sources of infection

The current sources of infection have been recorded as follows: 698 new infections were recorded in the Canton of Basel-Stadt during the past four weeks (period from 15 January to 11 February 2021). 55 percent (or 387 cases) of the new infections could be attributed to known or suspected sources of infection. Most of them caught the infection from their own family (45 per cent) or when meeting with family or friends (4 per cent), at work (10 per cent) or at schools providing compulsory education (5 per cent). 21 percent said that they had several possible sources of infection.

Interim report on mass tests in nursing homes

The Canton of Basel-Stadt has been offering nursing homes the option of regular preventive rapid tests since 20 January 2021. Ten nursing homes, which care for over 1000 residents in total, are already regularly carrying out these tests. Staff are mostly offered the chance to be tested on site two days a week.

The tests are carried out either by the home’s own trained nurses or by external service providers such as laboratories or pharmacists. The other nursing homes are currently in the preparatory phase, will be carrying out rapid tests in future or have decided to only offer rapid tests as required.

As the results of the rapid tests are not notifiable, it is difficult to see how many tests have been done. Individual cases with positive results have been found, which is a demonstrable success. As a result, asymptomatic staff were discovered and it was possible to control the spread of the virus.

The Department of Health highly recommends this preventive testing in nursing homes as an additional, directly effective protective measure. However, preventive testing is voluntary and requires the consent of staff.

Please note:

Case numbers continue to be updated every day on the website www.coronavirus.bs.ch. The latest vaccination figures can be found on the Basel-Stadt data portal.