The Conselleria de Salud has requested this morning to the Lawyer’s Office of the Autonomous Community the filing of a contentious appeal to request, as a precautionary measure, the suspension of the execution of the measure reported yesterday afternoon by the Ministry of Health, through a communicated order, which indicates to all the autonomous communities the obligatory use of masks in health centers and public and private hospitals, instead of maintaining this use as a recommendation, as it had been requested from the Balearic Islands, since the epidemiological situation of the Balearic territory does not justify it.

TDB keeps you informed. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

A contentious appeal to request the suspension of the compulsory use of masks

The consellera has stressed once again that this measure has been taken ignoring the epidemiological situation of each community and has not taken into account the request for an action protocol based on technical criteria and adapted to the epidemiological situation of each autonomous community.

“We consider that it is not based on any technical criteria. We understand that coercive measures like this should always be based on technical and rigorous criteria and have been previously studied by the National Public Health Commission,” Manuela Garcia stressed in statements to the media, who added that “in this case, the Interterritorial Council has approved no agreement, nor can it be considered that the Balearic Islands are now in a situation of exceptional urgency”.

The Minister of Health recalled that the epidemiological situation of the Balearic Islands is far from that of other communities. With a rate of respiratory infections in week 1 of 2024 of 273.8 cases per 100,000 inhabitants -very similar to the previous week, which reached 271.9 cases/100,000 inhabitants-, the Balearic Islands continue to be the community with the lowest incidence rate of the entire national territory, which accumulates an average of 935.1 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (952.9 cases/100,000 inhabitants in week 52).

As for the incidence of influenza, the Balearic rate stands at 64.3 cases/per 100,000 inhabitants (60.8 in week 52), while the national average stands at 387.4 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (430.7 cases/per 100,000 inhabitants in the previous week).