The obligation becomes a recommendation whenever there is a respiratory infection.

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Agrees to withdraw the obligation to wear masks in healthcare centres

The order came into force on Friday 2 February.

The Autonomous Committee for Infectious Diseases, chaired by the Regional Minister of Health, Manuela García, met this afternoon to agree to move from the situation of obligatory use of masks in health centres to that of a recommendation for their use. The order, which comes into force today, Friday, has already been communicated to hospital management, primary care and private healthcare.

The decision has taken into account the premise set by the order communicated by the Ministry of Health on 10 January, which provides that the autonomous communities can reverse the obligation once they present data on the decrease in the cumulative incidence of respiratory viruses for two consecutive weeks.

According to the weekly report of Epidemiological Surveillance of the Balearic Islands for week 4 of 2024, the overall incidence rate of acute respiratory infections (ARI) fell for the second consecutive week, standing at 231.6 cases/100,000 inhabitants and corroborating the downward trend that began in week 3, when the overall incidence rate was 242.2 cases/100,000 inhabitants.

Specifically, the combined rate of influenza, covid and RSV has gone from 279 cases/100,000 inhabitants in week 2 of 2024 to 242.2 cases in week 3, and in week 4 of 2024, this downward trend has been confirmed with 231.6 cases/100,000 inhabitants.