2024-01-10 16:09:13
Masks are mandatory from this Wednesday in health centers throughout Spain and until the incidence of diseases caused by respiratory viruses decreases.
The Government of the Canary Islands establishes the mandatory nature of masks in health centers in the autonomous community, given the large number of flu and covid infections. EFE/Alberto Valdés
The Ministry of Health has thus decided to make the imposition of mandatory masks in health centers more flexible for the autonomous communities so that they can reduce it to just a recommendation when they accumulate two consecutive weeks of decrease in the cumulative incidence of respiratory viruses whose peak has not yet been achieved. has been reached.
This was explained by the Minister of Health, Mónica García, in a press conference called to explain the measures to tackle the impact of the increase in cases of flu and other respiratory infections, in which she explained that the communicated order will be in force ” throughout the day”, once all the autonomies receive it.
In this way, the eleven communities that have not yet imposed it in health centers will have to do so this Wednesday, but according to the new document that Health is sending them, to which EFE has had access, they will be able go from obligation to recommendation when they subdue the peak and decrease the incidence for two weeks.
“The autonomous communities that present data on the decrease in the Cumulative Incidence of Acute Respiratory Infections for two consecutive weeks, according to the data reported to the Ministry of Health Through the Surveillance Network, they will be able to move, if they consider it appropriate according to their overall epidemiological situation, from the situation of mandatory use of masks in health centers to a situation of recommending their use,” the text reads.
However, “those who, despite meeting this criterion, want to maintain the obligation, according to the analysis of their data, may do so during the validity of the Declaration of Coordinated Actions,” the document highlights.
García has not specified how long the validity of the coordinated actions that he declared this Wednesday will last, but he has insisted that putting on a face mask in a health center or hospital “is a very basic measure” to protect oneself from contagion.
The Minister of Health, Mónica García, offers a press conference to report on the new steps of the Ministry of Health in relation to the respiratory virus epidemic. EFE/Aitor Martín
The mandatory use of masks in health centers, residences and pharmacies ended on July 5 after the decision of the Council of Ministers to consider the health crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic over.
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