The Balearic Islands have become the only area of Spain open to the arrival of British tourism, after the United Kingdom decided yesterday to place the islands in its ‘green traffic light’ that allows its citizens to visit without the obligation of having to go through a quarantine period on their return.
The Govern’s reaction was immediate, and a few minutes after this decision was officially known, its spokesperson, the Minister Iago Negueruela, communicated his satisfaction with the fact that as of next week the first British tourists will start to arrive, but he also issued an additional warning: the State Executive has been asked to set controls at the airports of the islands to guarantee that visitors arrive with a negative coronavirus tests, and that the presence of the State Security Forces be reinforced to increase controls in the areas that may be more conflictive in the face of possible behaviors that violate the regulations on covid-19.
The first thing the Minister of Tourism did was to thank businessmen, workers and all citizens, with special reference to health personnel, for the efforts made to ensure that the islands reached levels of incidence of the coronavirus low enough to make the Balearic Islands the “most open tourist destination in the Mediterranean”, but he also claimed that, considering that what happened yesterday, the de-escalation strategy that the Government has maintained shows that “it is the right decision.”
That will allow, as he stressed, that thousands of workers from the islands can return to their jobs as the hotel plant and businesses open in areas with greater dependence on visitors from the United Kingdom.
The Govern’s Concern
But along with this satisfaction, the minister did not hide his concern that this desicion entails. Although the British are required by their own Government to have negative coronavirus tests when leaving and returning to their country, the Spanish Government has been asked to apply the necessary controls to confirm that this requirement is met.
In addition, contacts have been maintained with the central administration to reinforce the presence of agents of the State Security Forces in order to monitor streets and beaches. There he issued an additional warning: if excesses occur in some areas, the Govern will act forcefully as it did last year, in reference to the possible closure of areas where people are found not to be following the Covid-19 restrictions to reduce infection.
The minister reminded us that the pandemic is not over and therefore insisted that the de-escalation will continue to be slow. It should be remembered that the clubs are still closed, awaiting to reopen during the month of July and that restaurants have limited capacity inside the establishments, to name a few examples.
«Everyone’s effort has made the Balearic Islands the most open tourist destination in the Mediterranean»
IAGO NEGUERUELA – Minister of Tourism
Iago Negueruela predicted that “we can have a very good tourist season if we start it wisely”, which is why he called on everyone to take responsibility, and to remember “how hard it would be to go back.”
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