The restaurants association within the Ibiza Pimeef federation of small to medium-sized businesses has expressed its indignation at the extension of restrictions for at least two more weeks. In the association's view, this extension is "through fear and not because of technical criteria".
The president of the association, Veronica Juan, is critical of the Balearic government not having agreed to the requests to open interiors and extend terrace opening hours. "There are no clear criteria any longer." Previously, the incidence of cases was taken into account when decreeing restrictions. Now, the prevailing concern is with a specific strain. "Out of fear, the government is not letting us open up. Fear is not a scientific criterion."
Mercedes Garrido, the minister of the presidency, said in Ibiza on Wednesday that the more that restaurants are open, the higher is the level of contagion. Juan has responded to this by observing that when interiors were allowed to open, this was at the same time as mobility and social gatherings were made more flexible. "There is no clear way to say that one thing is linked to the other."
Before Christmas, she adds, interiors were open, but an increase in the incidence of cases wasn't until after the holidays, something that she attributes to family and social gatherings.
Juan also observes that residents of Mallorca have been allowed to visit Ibiza "without any type of test", although the health situation worsened before Easter and prompted the immediate closure of interiors. "What are the criteria?"
The Pimem restaurants association in Mallorca said on Wednesday prior to the meeting of the social dialogue table that extending the closure of bar and restaurant interiors "would be a wrong decision and totally unfounded from a health point of view".