The seventh wave of coronavirus in the Valencian Community and in the rest of Spain is already a reality. Contagions in the region have doubled in just one week and hospitals are close to a thousand admitted for Covid, although levels in the ICU remain stable for the time being.

A situation that notably worries the regional Executive led by Ximo Puig, who was "concerned" about the increase in cases and hospitalizations: "We have to be more cautious again." A thesis that the Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, also endorses, who once again recommended the use of the mask in crowds and in closed spaces with insufficient ventilation.

For this reason, the president of the Generalitat has appealed to "maximum prudence" and "fundamental co-responsibility" because, he has insisted, the pandemic "has not passed."

"We have to reflect," he expressed, while opting to approach summer "with the maximum guarantees", a time "of joy and reunion" and in which, moreover, it is "a time of well-deserved rest for the health professionals.

[Pedro Cavadas' notice on the use of masks, the new variants of covid and vaccines]

Puig, although he has recognized that the numbers of infections and hospitalizations are "increasing", he has remarked that they are "very far from the data of other waves and the situation in hospitals is very different". However, he has pointed out that, logically, "as infections increase, hospitalizations and ICU occupation increase."

Thus, the epidemiological situation of the Valencian Community reflects a cumulative incidence of 715 cases per one hundred thousand inhabitants in those over sixty years of age, still far from the national average that rises to 996 positives. On the other hand, the coronavirus continues to kill in the region, since eighteen deaths were reported in the last report, a figure that increases the total number of deaths since the start of the pandemic to 9,538.

For this reason, the Ministry of Health has wanted to remember the public places where the use of the mask continues to be mandatory, as well as where it is recommended and extreme precautions must be taken.

In accordance with the state regulations applied regarding the use of face masks to prevent and combat the spread of Covid-19, the mask is mandatory in health centers, services and establishments, as well as in social health centers and in all means of public transport.

In addition, the authorities recall the need to take extreme precautions and make responsible use of the mask in risky conditions, such as closed spaces, crowds, close contacts and encounters with vulnerable populations.

The protocols in force for positive cases of Covid-19 and close contacts no longer require isolation as was the case in other waves of the pandemic. However, those confirmed infected must take extreme precautions, reduce their social interactions, do not attend crowded events, avoid contact with vulnerable people and constantly wear the mask.

The positives who work in vulnerable areas, such as health centers, social health centers, prisons and others with institutionalized people, should not go to their workplace during the first five days from the onset of symptoms or from the date of diagnosis if they are asymptomatic.

After this time, if the symptoms have disappeared, they must undergo a new diagnostic test and if the result is negative, they can return to their job. On the other hand, in cases with mild symptoms that worsen, they should contact the health system, while the protocol for close contacts only includes people considered vulnerable.

In these cases, an antigen test will be performed after five days of follow-up, but they will not be required to maintain home isolation.