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Masks will be made compulsory in hospitals and medical centers in Spain this week after a spike in respiratory illnesses.
Spain’s ethnic minority coalition government imposed the measure despite opposition from most of Spain’s 17 autonomous regions, which say the measure should be encouraged but not mandatory.
The move comes as hospitals face strain as cases of influenza, COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses surge across the country.
“We’re talking about wearing a mask when you enter a health center and taking it off when you leave. I don’t think it’s any drama,” Health Minister Mónica García said on Spanish radio, adding that this is basic and easy. He said it was a first-time measure.
Six regions have already introduced the measure, and masks have been commonly used on the streets, on public transport and in health centers in recent months.
Masks will become mandatory in Spanish hospitals and medical centers this week
(AP)
Face coverings are required in treatment areas at three hospitals in Leicester, even though masks are not required by law in the UK.
At Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester General Hospital and Glenfield Hospital, masks are compulsory in covered wards and emergency waiting rooms.
University Hospitals Leicester NHS Trust says masks are not compulsory in non-clinical spaces such as offices, lifts, restaurants and corridors.
In the United States, hospitals in New York, California, Illinois and Massachusetts are requiring patients and health care workers to wear masks.
Masks to be reintroduced as respiratory illnesses surge in Spain
(AP)
New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said the decision was made to avoid mass staffing shortages due to the disease.
And in Greece, authorities reintroduced recommendations to wear masks indoors as coronavirus cases surge across the country.
In the UK, scientists have warned that the government has “let down its guard” against the new coronavirus amid growing concerns about the new coronavirus variant BA.2.86.
Professor Lawrence Young from the University of Warwick said: “At the moment we are letting our guard down and have no idea what is going on.”
The number of infections in the UK soared by nearly 200,000 last month, reaching around 785,000 on July 27, according to estimates from the Zoe Health Study. The number of coronavirus-related hospitalizations is at the highest level in three months.