Health minister urges mask use on public transport amid flu epidemic

Catalonia's health minister, Olga Pané, has urged people to wear face masks on public transport as flu cases rise.

Pané also said that anyone with symptoms should wear a mask and that indoor spaces used for social gatherings should be properly ventilated.

Speaking to Catalunya Ràdio on Sunday morning, Pané added that the Catalan government does not have the authority to mandate such measures in these settings, and that it has already regulated areas where it does have powers, such as healthcare facilities and residential care homes.

A mask mandate in Catalan hospitals and care homes came into force on Wednesday for 15 calendar days, i.e. until Christmas Eve, December 24.

The health minister also explained that the current flu vaccine is not fully matched to the predominant strain circulating, as it is a mutated variant, but stressed that evidence shows it still protects against severe illness.

She noted that this year's flu epidemic is expected to last "a little longer" than usual.

Beyond vaccination, Pané recommended maintaining the preventive measures widely adopted during the Covid-19 pandemic, including mask use in appropriate settings, good ventilation and regular handwashing.

"This isn't Covid, but the preventive measures are the same," she said.

Health officials believe the peak could arrive around Christmas, although Pané acknowledged that predicting its exact timing is more difficult given the mutated strain. 

Experience in other countries suggests that once the peak is reached, case numbers tend to fall gradually rather than sharply. She warned that this could mean a longer-lasting flu epidemic this season.