Costa Blanca

Department of Health recommends the use of masks in healthcare centres

The Ministry of Health has advised health departments in the Valencian Community to recommend wearing masks in health and social care centres. This is a precaution against the rise of respiratory virus infections, which reached 905 cases per 100,000 people in the first week of 2025.

Although the number of respiratory infection cases is lower than last year, which had 1,318 cases per 100,000 people, it is still important to recommend wearing masks in healthcare and social care settings. This applies in these situations: when symptomatic people are in shared spaces, when professionals are caring for symptomatic patients, and for everyone in vulnerable areas like chemotherapy rooms, transplant units, intensive care units, and emergency departments.

The instructions also say that, based on the center’s features and capabilities, there will be internal rules for controlling the spread of respiratory viruses, using masks, and ongoing care. These will follow the guidelines from the Preventive Medicine Service.

The Ministry of Health has given all health departments a plan to manage the rise in cases of Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI). This plan includes strategies to ensure ongoing healthcare during seasonal outbreaks of respiratory viruses. It covers public health advice and measures for organising and operating both primary and hospital care.

The main goal of this plan is to create suggestions and steps related to risk situations based on spread data and the abilities of healthcare centres in the Valencian Health System.

Advice for everyone.

The Contingency Plan states that getting vaccinated for influenza and/or ARI is still very important for preventing ARI. The Ministry of Health reminds everyone that health centres have been offering flu and COVID-19 vaccinations without appointments since November 4th, to encourage more people to get vaccinated.

Since the vaccination program began, the Ministry of Health has given out a total of 1,730,548 doses of flu and COVID vaccines.

Public Health has shared recommendations for everyone to help prevent acute respiratory infections. You can find these tips on the Ministry of Health’s website and social media. Some key suggestions include washing your hands well with soap and water or using hand sanitiser, wearing a mask for those who are most vulnerable, and for anyone showing respiratory symptoms, even if they haven’t been tested positive.

If you have any symptoms, stay away from busy places and avoid socialising where you can’t wear a mask. Also, clean surfaces that people touch often, like door and window knobs, with soap and water or disinfectant.

If you have trouble breathing, a constant high fever, or are in a high-risk group, it is best to listen to healthcare experts and not take antibiotics on your own.

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Costa Blanca

Special security and cleaning measures will be implemented in Elche during Holy Week

On Saturday, April 12th, Elche will implement unique security and cleansing protocols in anticipation of Holy Week.

Both will be deployed in the urban and beach locations.

In terms of security, the Elche Local Police will allocate 374 officers to security duties for a variety of events and processions between April 12th and 20th, in addition to 280 officers who will be dispersed throughout the coastal areas, metropolitan neighbourhoods, and hamlets.

This Easter security operation will incorporate the drone and canine sections of the Elche Local Police.

The security operation for Easter in Elche will also involve the National Police, approximately 100 Civil Protection volunteers, and health, urban mobility, and maintenance personnel.

Traffic will be prohibited for one hour prior to the commencement of the procession on procession days.

Furthermore, a unique cleaning, refuse collection, and container removal operation will be implemented, which will involve the use of 80 vehicles and 185 workers to prepare the streets of Elche for Easter. Each procession will receive personalised attention. A planned staffing increase has been implemented for all beach cleaning and holiday schedules.

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Javea Police catch driver who was doing 128 km/h on a street with a max speed of 50 km

A driver was caught speeding at 128 kilometres per hour on an urban road on Monday afternoon, 7th April, exceeding the speed limit by 78 kilometres by Javea Local Police officers.

The incident occurred on Avda. del Pla during a speed check conducted by officers as part of the DGT campaign that has been implemented throughout Spain.

The General Directorate of Traffic has initiated an “intensive surveillance” campaign in Spain to guarantee that the speed limits established on the country’s arteries and urban roads are adhered to, effective as of Monday, April 7th. This campaign is being conducted by the Xábia Local Police.

This measure aims to reduce traffic accidents and, in particular, fatalities and serious injuries caused by excessive speed.

The campaign, which will run until Sunday, April 13th, will be carried out using mobile radars located on various streets throughout the town.

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Man arrested after robbing four businesses at knifepoint in Elda

A 48-year-old Spanish male has been apprehended by National Police officers in Elda (Alicante) for the knife-point robbery of four commercial establishments in the city centre. Local merchants and residents were alarmed by the circumstances. The incident has been a cause for alarm, according to sources from the National Police.

The assailant entered the stores and wielded a dagger, which, according to National Police sources, he used to threaten the employees of the establishments. The robberies were consistently committed on Saturday afternoons in establishments that were open to the public and were situated in close proximity to each other.

The assailant nervously brandished the dagger and threatened to stab the victims if they resisted, according to police investigations. Nevertheless, officers have reported that he even threatened to amputate a persons finger during one of the assaults.

The police were led to believe that the perpetrator of all four cases may be the same after two additional commercial robberies occurred in the same area the following Saturday, one week after the initial two.

The officers continued their investigation in order to identify the perpetrator of the Elda business robberies. They also discovered additional alleged attempted robberies at establishments in the town, which the perpetrator failed to carry out for a variety of reasons after it was discovered that he had been monitoring businesses similar to those assaulted.

Ultimately, the suspected perpetrator of the robberies was identified by the officers as a 48-year-old Spanish man. After successfully tracking him down, they apprehended him. He is currently facing charges for four knife-related stabbings. The suspect has been hauled before the Elda Duty Court.