- The accumulated incidence of acute respiratory infections in the Community falls to almost half of what it was on January 5, when the health authorities introduced the mask.
The Ministry of Health will notify all health departments in the Valencian Community of the withdrawal of the mandatory use of masks in health and socio-health centres, which was established on the 5th. January as a preventive measure against the increase in respiratory virus infections. At the time the incidence reached 1,501 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. This measure will come into force starting tomorrow, Wednesday, after its publication in the Official Gazette of the Generalitat Valenciana.
The Minister of Health, Marciano Gómez, explained that the decision “is in response to the notable decrease registered in the last three weeks in the incidence of acute respiratory infections (ARI) and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI), which currently stands at 830 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, according to data provided by the Epidemiology service of the General Directorate of Public Health.
The data reflects that the incidence rate of respiratory infections has decreased by 44.7% since 5 January. Likewise, the incidence of severe acute respiratory infections, that is, those that require hospitalization, has decreased by 58.2% since the same date.
The Minister stressed that despite the withdrawal of the mandatory use of masks, each health department, supported by its own protocols, will be able to establish its mandatory use, depending on the epidemiological situation and the particular structural and functional characteristics of its dependent centres.
The Minister said last week that if there was “a moderately significant drop in the incidence, together with a decrease in healthcare pressure and a decrease in infections in certain age groups” they would rethink the use of the mask so that It becomes a recommendation and not an obligation.
He added that the vaccination campaign is still underway and health centres will continue to administer doses of the flu and Covid-19 vaccines without the need for an appointment, with the aim of promoting the immunization of the population.
