Changes

The maps show the amount of people infected in the region from the start of the epidemic until 30 June 2020. The information was provided by the Regional Health Service of Galicia (Servizio Galego de Saúde - SERGAS). The database holds information on 10,853 COVID-19 cases together with the patients’ addresses. Locating these cases allows to understand the spatial distribution of the impact of the disease and its regional patterns of behaviour.

Data were aggregated by municipality to improve visualisation. The first map, called COVID-19 Cases in Galicia, shows the incidence of the pandemic in Galician municipalities. The following maps depict hotspots. The geographical spread of the virus was more significant around the Atlantic Urban Axis, especially in areas close to the main towns. It could therefore be concluded that population distribution was a factor that affected the incidence of the pandemic: scattered population and reduced physical contact worked to contain the spread of the virus. In addition, there is a degree of spatial correlation between the total amount of inhabitants in a municipality and the number of cases reported. The areas most affected were those around the towns of Corunna (A Coruña), Santiago de Compostela and Ourense. Many of the residential areas and industrial activities are concentrated in these peri-urban areas, which have a great dynamism and high levels of social interaction.