Faced with flu outbreak, Spain evaluates resumption of wearing masks

On Monday, the Spanish Ministry of Health will require regions to make the use of masks compulsory in health and social care centers, a measure that will be temporarily implemented during the peak of the national epidemic of influenza and other respiratory viruses.

This was announced by Health Minister Monica García, who will forward the request to regional councilors, as the decision must be taken individually by each region. Mainly because in Spain the health system is managed by the autonomous communities themselves.

García made the announcement within the framework of an extraordinary plenary meeting of the Interregional Council of the National Health System, which will take place this Monday with the aim of “unifying standards” and coordinating measures
Confronting the resurgence of respiratory viruses.

Masks have appeared in three Spanish regions

Three Spanish regions: Catalonia, Valencia and Murcia, have enacted the measure this week.

With the mandatory wearing of masks in medical centers, this measure was lifted six months ago, on July 5, 2023, but was reinstated after the COVID-19 pandemic was brought under control.

The minister recalled that although the government has resorted to decrees to regulate the use of masks during the epidemic, the decision on whether to make their use compulsory is the “responsibility” of the autonomous regions. The ministry “coordinates” the measure but respects the exercise of regional powers.

The Aragonese government has partially approved the measure, except for the regions of Catalonia, Valencia and Murcia, as it is only mandatory for health and medical professionals.
Nursing in social care centres.

The Madrid community is least interested in enforcing the use of masks in health centers, but it has ruled out the possibility of implementing such a measure. Therefore, under this autonomy, the use of health centres, hospitals and social care centers will only be “recommended and voluntary”.

Increase in virus numbers in Spain

The latest data from the Surveillance System for Acute Respiratory Infections (SiVIRA) of the Carlos III Institute of Health show that the number of hospital admissions due to influenza in the country increased by 60% in a week, reaching 9.5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, an increase of 3.6 percentage points compared to It increased the previous week and has risen since late October.

The global acute respiratory infection rate in primary care was 952.9 cases per 100,000 cases in the last week of December, much higher than the 533.4 cases registered at the beginning of the month.