The Balearic health minister, Patricia Gómez, announced on Sunday that the government will be prohibiting cultural activities for the January fiestas.
The fiestas are Sant Honorat (feast day January 16), Sant Antoni (January 17) and Sant Sebastià (January 20). Their celebration has already been banned in respect of "the parties", but not all cultural activities associated with the fiestas have been prohibited. On Monday, the government will order this prohibition. It has been agreed with the Bishopric that the traditional blessings of the animals, which are typically on January 17 but not exclusively, will not go ahead. Compline services will be behind closed doors or with very limited numbers.
Gómez, President Armengol and Catalina Cladera, the president of the Council of Mallorca, held a videoconference meeting on Sunday with the president of the Felib federation of town halls, Antoni Salas, and the mayors of municipalities that are most affected - ones with the closest ties to the fiestas: Algaida (Sant Honorat); Arta, Manacor, Muro, Pollensa, Sa Pobla, Sant Llorenç, Son Servera (Sant Antoni); and Palma (Sant Sebastià). Gómez said that the mayors were in agreement with the measure. The town halls have, by and large, already cancelled most events. Algaida was the most recent to. At the end of last week, the town hall announced that there would be no dances by the cossiers.
On the vaccination programme, the minister stated that the schedule is being fulfilled and that the first doses of the Moderna vaccine will be arriving in the Balearics this week. She explained that there has been 76% of planned vaccination of care home residents and staff. The remaining 24%, who have not been vaccinated, are positive cases.
Gómez said that there is no vaccination at weekends, as the current delivery of doses means that vaccines can be given on weekdays. At the moment, therefore, it is not necessary to ask for help from the army, although a request could be made, depending on the delivery.