The only covid restrictions that remain in force are the use masks indoors and the ban on smoking on terraces or in the street if the safety distance is not guaranteed. The rest, including the covid passport (the obligation to present three negative weekly tests) for health and social-health professionals, will be history from today, after the publication of yesterday’s agreement of the Consell de Govern in the Butlletà Oficial de Balears (BOIB).
The spokesman of the Balearic Government, Iago Negueruela. | CAIB
The bulk of the covid restrictions that are eliminated mainly affect capacity numbers in cultural, religious and sporting events as well as the celebration of popular festivals, among others. Also eliminated are the time restrictions that were still in place, such as the obligation to close nightlife establishments at 5:00am. In the case of cocktail bars and concert cafés, the restriction to the number of patrons is also lifted, which was at 75% of the capacity in the case of health alert level 0 and 60% in level 1 or higher.
The Pitiusas Islands remain at health alert level 4 (Mallorca and Menorca are at 3), but, regardless of this, practically all covid restrictions are lifted. The Consell de Govern plans to review the situation next week.
Lifting of covid restrictions due to fall in contagions and vaccines
The spokesman of the Balearic Govern, Iago Negueruela, justified that the lifting of practically all the covid restrictions is due to the fact that “the wave of contagions has been significantly reduced” and, in addition, “mass vaccination means most citizens are protected”. The decrease in infections has been “rapid and continuous” on the islands as a whole, according to Negueruela, who added that, for example, on January 26th the Accumulated Incidence (AI) at 14 days was 3,249 infections per 100,000 inhabitants and on February 23rd it stood at 500 cases.
In the case of Ibiza, the AI 14 on January 26th was 4,357 infections and almost a month later it had dropped to 399.8, the lowest figure in the archipelago. On Formentera, it has gone from 1,881.7 cases at the end of January to 429. The incidence has been reduced to 20% on the islands as a whole, but the Govern emphasizes that in Ibiza, where the decline is much more pronounced, the AI 14 of February 23 represented less than 10% of the figure of a month earlier.
Hospital occupancy has also dropped considerably. For the islands as a whole, it was 12.6% of the beds at the end of January and a month later it had dropped to 6.5%, and the same with Intensive Care Units, which have gone from an occupancy of 26.4% on January 26 to 12.8% on February 23.
Negueruela indicated that this step is almost definitive towards normality and reminded that the decision on the use of the mask does not depend on the Balearic Govern, but on the Interterritorial Health Council formed by representatives of the Ministry of Health and the autonomous communities. He also said that the ban on smoking on terraces is limited only to covid measures.
The freeway to the most popular festivals
The spokesman for the Balearic government, Iago Negueruela, believes that now, with the decline of the sixth wave, a new scenario is opening up and that the islands’ popular festivals, even the most popular ones, can be celebrated. “We have seen this past weekend how the rúas de carnaval have been recovered, which is positive,” said Negueruela, who also recalled that this year’s commemoration of the Diada de Balears “recovers all outdoor activities.” “We are moving in this direction and, if things hold up, the celebration of our festivities will be fully recovered,” he stressed.
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