The health crisis situation due to Covid ends and the obligation to wear masks ends
Three years and four months after the declaration of the state of alarm due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Official State Gazette includes order SND/726/2023, of July 4, which publishes the Agreement of the Council of Ministers held yesterday, which declares the end of the health crisis situation caused by the COVID-19, a crisis of extraordinary magnitude and severity due to the high risk of contagion, the high number of people affected, the pressure on health services and the very high social and economic cost derived from the extraordinary containment and distancing measures adopted.
This way, this scenario designed to confront the health emergency situation and protect the health and safety of citizens is concluded. Among its most notable effects is the end of the obligation to wear masks.
The annex to the publication also formulates several recommendations aimed at administrations and citizens. First of all, the protection of the vulnerable population stands out, especially in relation to avoiding the transmission of respiratory infections and maintaining a responsible attitude.
The second measure involves strengthening public health surveillance, a fundamental pillar for the preparation that may be necessary for possible future health emergencies.
Thirdly, vaccination against COVID-19 and other microorganisms that cause respiratory infections will continue to be promoted.
Strengthening the strategic framework for preparation and response to health emergencies is the fourth point to take into account when faced with threats to public health generated by biological agents, chemical agents, physical agents or threats of environmental origin, including those related to climate change.
It is also key to strengthen human resources, preparation and response capacities for health emergencies, as well as the resilience of health systems. This point is the fifth of the extraordinary measures annex.
The sixth measure would be the maintenance of the strategic health reserve that allows for a timely and effective response and guarantees the availability and optimal production capacity of countermeasures in crisis situations.
Finally, seventhly, it is considered key to maintain the shared governance mechanisms and continue to deepen the inter-administrative coordination and cooperation mechanisms.
Fraternidad-Muprespa, Mutual Collaborator with Social Security, will be especially scrupulous in the application of these government measures, as it has been doing since March 11, 2020 in its work to protect its mutual companies and their protected workers.
