More than 600 personnel have been mobilized this Tuesday in the operation to advance normality in the region, with full opening of schools and normal functioning of healthcare centers. According to data provided by Red Eléctrica de España, the electrical supply has been restored almost entirely, with minor incidents still being resolved, while work continues to stabilize the mobile phone communications. President Gonzalo Capellán has maintained direct contact through several phone conversations with the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, as well as with the mayors of the main regional centers, to have real-time information on the situation of the main population centers and their associated municipalities.
This was explained by the spokesperson and Minister of Finance, Public Governance, and Digital Society of the Government of La Rioja, Alfonso Domínguez, in the press conference following the Council of Government held today, April 29, where the situation arising from the total power outage on Monday in Spain was analyzed.
Alfonso Domínguez recalled that at the time of the incident, «the Operational Emergency Coordination Center (CECOP) was established, and the Government of La Rioja declared operational level 2,» which finally escalated to level 3 (declaration of national interest emergency) at the request of the National Center for Emergency Monitoring and Coordination (CENEM). In addition, «the Ministry of Finance took over the management of the emergency due to the absence and lack of communication with the Minister of Health and Social Policies until communication was reestablished with her, who took charge of the situation at SOS Rioja in the afternoon.» Likewise, the minister reported that all actions taken at CECOP have always followed technical decisions raised by the Center’s authorities.
As of 11:00 this morning, according to data from Red Eléctrica de España, the electricity supply is guaranteed at 100%, and «from there, supplies from companies to homes and businesses are also almost fully restored, with some minor incidents occurring in specific locations.» On the other hand, landline telephony is fully restored, while mobile coverage is at 95%, with occasional issues in outgoing calls.
In total, SOS Rioja has responded to 982 calls resulting in 893 management files: 166 for information, 194 health-related emergencies, 167 various incidents, 31 security files, and 5 fire incidents, all of low relevance. Additionally, 700 personnel were mobilized. The Government of La Rioja has expressed gratitude to both these personnel and the 600 who worked on Tuesday for their efforts and excellent coordination.
Actions in the healthcare and education fields
Alfonso Domínguez added that the public healthcare system of La Rioja «behaved very satisfactorily in this serious crisis.» During the power outage, both the San Pedro University Hospital and the Calahorra Hospital activated their generators, allowing for energy supply to complete consultations, diagnostic tests, and ongoing surgical procedures. In the afternoon, some surgical activities were suspended, «mainly for two reasons: to generate maximum energy savings, as the future was uncertain, and to free up surgical spaces for emergencies.» Ultimately, the scheduled surgical planning was reinstated.
Emergency services were attended to «completely normally,» and the staff assisted patients with home therapies needing to charge their devices. Additionally, the on-call staff (8 medical professionals and 7 nurses) were fully active, recording in person any failures that could occur in the telecommunications system.
No significant issues were reported in elderly care homes; all generators and power sources functioned, and there was an increase in calls for telecare services due to communication problems.
Regarding schools, all institutions opened normally today, with school transportation, meal services, and extracurricular activities running «perfectly.» Attendance was at 90% for Primary and 55% for Secondary levels.
To conclude, Alfonso Domínguez highlighted that President Gonzalo Capellán Rioja maintained direct contact through various phone conversations with the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, as well as with the mayors of regional centers, to have real-time information on the situation of the main population centers and their associated municipalities.
Furthermore, the regional government spokesperson thanked the citizens for following recommendations, as well as the mayors and councilors of La Rioja who, «once again and regardless of political affiliations, worked together to solve the issues, providing generators to power critical centers such as elderly care homes and water supply stations.»
Information on the balance of Monday, April 28
