The Ministry of Health of the Government of Aragon will issue an order in the coming hours so that masks Starting this Wednesday, health centers will no longer mandate, both for professionals and patients.His decision comes as flu case rates dropped for the second week in a row, falling to There are 125.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
“Masks will continue to be recommended, but there will be no obligation “Because we are at a stage where the epidemic curve is clearly declining,” stressed Nuria Gayán, general director of public health. From the third to the fourth week of January, the incidence of influenza dropped by 45%, from 231 to 0.5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants to 125.3. This is the second week in a row that case numbers have dropped and the Ministry of Health has called for an end to the mandate.
“The recommendation to use masks must be maintained based on common sense. For example, it is recommended to use masks when we are going to visit vulnerable people or when symptoms of infection are present,” Gayan stressed. The incidence of acute respiratory infections increased from 1,071 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. to 853.5 cases.
In this way, the influenza curve remains at base threshold Made for the season from which it was considered an epidemic, 59.6 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Public health authorities therefore insist on the importance of continuing to open the vaccination campaign to the entire population, at least until vaccination falls below this threshold. “We are reporting 59% of the population is at risk.We believe it’s a good thing to move forward because Optimum coverage is 75% And there are still cases of influenza every day,” the director-general warned.
The coverage rate for children aged 6 months to 5 years old (a new group introduced by this activity) is low. about 42%. “If we take into account that this is the first time they have been vaccinated, the numbers are not bad,” Gayan said.
From a health perspective, they believe the curve will continue to fall and there will not be another significant increase.