It could be the time for some tough decisions as the number of new cases of Covid continue to rise. No-one wants to see a return to the lockdown of earlier this year but the local government must act to ensure that cases do not continue to rise. The new restrictions which come into force this week - earlier bar and restaurant closing times and a limit on social gatherings - will probably not go far enough.
The biggest problem faced by the Balearics at the moment is large numbers of unvaccinated young people gathering for parties from industrial estates to the beach. Probably the simplest way to contain these parties is to reintroduce the 11p.m. or even midnight curfew. Anyone seen on the streets at this time without good reason will be fined. It will make the job of the police easier and it could stop the mega parties.
The long summer nights are almost an invitation to a party but I fear that unless radical action is taken cases will rise. In fairness to the Balearic government they didn´t want the end of the curfew in the first place but the stance from the Madrid government and the judiciary really meant that the issue was out of their hands.
One of the reasons why the curfew wasn´t reintroduced again this week was because it was feared that the law courts could over-rule it. Swift action is needed now rather than later. Apart from the serious health aspects of the rise in cases there is a danger that tourists will go elsewhere will hit the local economy hard.