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

Paraglider injured after bad landing in Parcent, north of Altea

A 38-year-old male sustained injuries yesterday, Saturday April 5th, as a result of an accident that occurred during the landing of a paraglider in the Camí del Barranquet area of Parcent, about 40 kms north of Altea.

The Alicante Provincial Fire Consortium promptly mobilised a rescue helicopter (Alpha 01) and members of the Special Rescue Group (GER) upon receiving the alert.

The victim sustained severe back pain and multiple injuries, according to Consortium sources. In order to continue with his evacuation, it was necessary to conduct a helicopter rescue due to the challenge of accessing the site.

The victim was transported to the San Vicente Fire Station, where he was transported to the Alicante General Hospital for additional medical evaluation and treatment by ambulance.

The emergency teams’ prompt response enabled the safe execution of the rescue, thereby reducing the time necessary for medical assistance to be administered to the injured individual.

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El Palmeral Park in Alicante will be closed for a week

El Palmeral Park in Alicante will be closed from Monday, April 7th to Friday, April 11th, Alicante council has announced. Renovation work that has been ongoing for months is being finalised.

In order to finalise all tasks and ensure that the park is prepared for its reopening, they will implement a temporary closure. The council has stated that upon its restoration, a more comprehensive and accessible space will be provided for the enjoyment of all ages.

The works are a component of a project that commenced in 2021, despite the numerous obstacles that have arisen along the way, including changes in the company, deadline extensions, and budget adjustments. However, the conclusion is imminent, and tangible enhancements are imminent.

These are some of the primary new features that are being integrated into the park:

Four expansive facilities that are inclusive, ensuring that all children can participate, irrespective of their capabilities.
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Two new callisthenics spaces have been established to facilitate outdoor training without the necessity of a gym.
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There are five picnic areas, which makes it an excellent option to dine in the park once more.
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The pier, access sites, and roads have been renovated due to their significant deterioration.
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A new water collection and chlorination system has been installed in the canals and lakes, which have been renovated.
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Enhanced verdant spaces, including additional shade and new vegetation.
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All of this was accomplished with an investment of over 800,000 euros in one of the most frequently visited areas in the southern region of the city.

Saturday, April 12th, is the intended date for the reopening. If all proceeds according to plan, El Palmeral Park in Alicante will reopen with all of these improvements completed and accessible to the public.

Therefore, it will be necessary to wait for a few days. However, it is time to revisit this verdant area and uncover a new perspective: one that is more contemporary, more comfortable, and offers a plethora of opportunities for spending the day.

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Man arrested for fraud, document forgery and burglary in Elche

In Elche (Alicante), a 34-year-old man has been apprehended for allegedly destroying the key safe of a tourist flat in order to defraud numerous individuals who were interested in renting it through an advertisement website.

The arrested individual is purported to have forced open the keysafe of the tourist flat in the La Hoya district of Elche in order to enter and change the lock, according to investigative sources. He subsequently posted a fraudulent advertisement on a website, assuming the identity of the owner, and showed the interior to potential clients.

A woman reported that she had booked the vacation rental through the aforementioned listing website and was shown the interior of the house by the alleged proprietor.

When the time came to move in, she paid €1,350. However, the door would not open when she attempted to use the keys. Then, an additional complaint was received from a victim who had reserved the same property through the online portal and had paid a total of €600. They too were unable to gain entry.

The suspect had been previously arrested for the same offences at the same vacation property in La Hoya, for a prior fraud of 3,350 euros, according to police investigations.

The National Police apprehended him for two alleged offences of fraud: falsifying documents and robbery with force, as he presented himself with an identity on each occasion.