Israel destroyed a main Gaza health center after ordering its evacuation amid ongoing conflict, with multiple hospitals shutting down due to military operations. The Israeli military has not commented, but the WHO condemned the attacks on health facilities. Israel also closed the West Bank border crossing to Jordan following an attack, impacting humanitarian aid. The conflict has led to a severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with thousands displaced and many hospitals damaged or closed, as international calls for a ceasefire and humanitarian access grow.
Drone footage released by UNRWA reveals extensive destruction in Gaza City, with over 70% of civilian infrastructure and 84% of health facilities in the territory being affected by the recent conflict.
Spain reintroduces mandatory face masks in health facilities nationwide from 10 January due to a spike in flu and COVID-19 cases, with the Health Ministry giving local governments 48 hours to send over their proposals. Several Spanish regions, including Andalucia, opposed the mandate, while others suggested expanding it to pharmacies. Flu cases spiked 75% in the last week of 2023, leading to a 60% increase in hospitalizations.
Spain reintroduces mandatory face masks in health facilities nationwide from 10 January due to a spike in COVID-19 and flu cases, with the Health Ministry giving local governments 48 hours to send over their proposals. Several Spanish regions, including Andalucia, opposed the mandate, while others suggested expanding it to pharmacies. Flu cases spiked 75% in the last week of 2023, leading to a 60% increase in hospitalizations, prompting the reintroduction of mask mandates in health facilities across the country.
British Palestinian surgeon Ghassan Abu Sitta, who volunteered with Doctors Without Borders in Gaza during the recent Israel-Hamas war, has given testimony to a British war crimes investigation unit. Abu Sitta's testimony focused on attacks on health facilities, including a deadly blast at al-Ahli hospital. He also treated patients with burn wounds consistent with white phosphorus shelling. Abu Sitta hopes the investigation will lead to prosecutions, and the International Criminal Court has prioritized a probe into possible crimes by both Hamas militants and Israeli forces.
The Baltimore City Council is considering new legislation that would prohibit "the willful use of incorrect names or pronouns" in an effort to enforce pronoun use across the city. The legislation would use anti-discrimination laws to include "gender identity" and would apply to employers, employment agencies, labor organizations, and places of public accommodation, including health facilities. The proposed rules would allow people to use the bathroom of their choice based on their gender identity and prohibit health institutions from denying an individual "the right to wear or be dressed in clothing, accessories, or cosmetics that are allowed for any other individual." Religious institutions are exempted from the bill.
Candida auris, a deadly and highly drug-resistant fungus, is spreading rapidly in long-term care hospitals and other health facilities caring for medically fragile people in the US. Cases of fungal infections from the yeast strain tripled nationally from 476 in 2019 to 1,471 in 2021, according to CDC data. The fungus is not a threat to healthy people whose immune systems can fight it off, but it poses a danger to those on ventilators and chemotherapy. The CDC says the spread of Candida can be stopped if hospitals emphasize surveillance, hand hygiene, and deep cleaning with the proper disinfectants.
