The President of the Government, Francina Armengol has ruled out introducing quarantine for National and International travellers arriving in the Balearic islands from areas with high contagion of coronavirus, despite recommendations from experts.
The Regional Committee of Experts recommended that quarantine as well as increased controls at ports and airports be established to prevent the disease from spreading.
The petition was supposed to be forwarded to the Central Government, but President Armengol has decided not to implement the measures because of the significant economic consequences and the complexity of introducing the restrictions. There are difficulties in deciding what is and what is not a risk zone and in discriminating against passengers who arrive on planes from an area of high contagion, but who may reside in less risky areas.
More controls
But the Government does want to have more control. Health checks will resume at ports and airports for passengers from other Autonomous Communities and the Schengen area without excluding the possibility of requesting that these checks also be applied at source.
The Government will also call for information campaigns to discourage mobility in the event of symptoms, especially in territories with a very high incidence of Covid-19.
To facilitate the operation of these controls, the Committee of Experts has recommended digitising the health questionnaires for travellers to ensure the coordination of both systems.
Another proposal raised by the Committee of Experts is the implementation of a contact tracking QR code that supports the work done by teams of trackers from the Balearic Islands and the Ministry of Health. This system is recommended for places with a high influx of people, such as public transport or nightlife.
The Government has also announced that another 250 trackers will be employed and given specialist training, taking the total to 400.
Light Aircraft & Yachts
An awareness campaign has been recommended for private ports where yachts and sailboats are moored and in the area of airports reserved for light aircraft, to remind people to wear face masks, respect social distancing and contact a Health Professional if they develop any coronavirus symptoms.
A total of 169,679 coronavirus tests have already been carried out in the Balearic Islands
Més per Menorca has requested that health controls be carried out on all tourists and that anyone who cannot supply a negative result PCR test from no more than a week before their trip be refused entry.
This suggestion is in line with the one made last week by the Ibiza & Formentera Chamber of Commerce, who did not object to the mandatory use of a face mask, but did demand more control measures from Regional and State Institutions.