From tomorrow, Friday 2nd February, the use of masks in healthcare and medical centres in the Canary Islands will no longer be mandatory. Esther Monzón, the Canarian Minister of Health, has just announced that mask usage will continue to be recommended but not obligatory, following a consecutive two-week decline in respiratory virus cases across the archipelago.
According to the latest report from the Acute Respiratory Infection Surveillance System (SiVIRA), with statistics from the Carlos III Health Institute, the incidence of respiratory viruses detected in Primary Care from January 22nd to 28th in the Canary Islands stands at 823.1 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, compared to 909 cases the previous week.
On January 8th, the Canary Islands decided to temporarily mandate mask-wearing in healthcare centres across the islands due to the impact of the peak in flu and coronavirus infections. This measure affected clinics, doctor surgeries, medical centres, and both public and private hospitals throughout the islands.
The regulation approved by the Ministry of Health days later regarding mask usage stipulates that regions of Spain can end the mandate after two consecutive weeks of declining cases and reduced pressure on hospitals if they wish to do so.
