In the Balearic parliament on Tuesday, health minister Patricia Gómez disagreed with opposition party claims that the government and health service had been late in responding to the Covid-19 crisis. Describing the work of health professionals as "commendable", she referred to a "serious and sad" global health crisis in the face of which decisive measures were adopted. The Balearics had been able to see how other regions were dealing with the crisis, and then took measures to "plan ahead".
She was willing to acknowledge that there were mistakes, but she added that from the outset the government had sought to buy medical supplies, as it could see "that things could get difficult".
Gómez explained that there are currently 76,000 PCR and qualitative antibody tests and that tests will be carried out according to health criteria for specific sectors of the population, such as health and social care workers and the disabled. "It is clear that professionals on the front line are a priority," she stated; two per cent of IB-Salut workers have been infected.
Sebastià Sagreras of the Partido Popular criticised the fact that there is insufficient safety equipment and maintained that the government's management of the crisis had been "very deficient". The minister "has failed in everything - results, empathy, humility and transparency".
There were criticisms from the other opposition parties - Ciudadanos, El Pi and Vox - the minister getting some support from Miquel Ensenyat of Més (one of the parties of the government pact). He observed that the crisis "had caught everyone off guard". The government had to make "very quick decisions".