From next week there will be an online facility through the Balearic health ministry's website to allow sick leave due to Covid to be processed online.
The director of health care, Eugènia Carandell, explained that the ministry is finalising an online facility for "comprehensive management" of Covid in order to lessen demand on the InfoCovid telephone service, which is intended to deal with queries, attend to more seriously ill patients and people who may have problems with accessing the online service.
She explained that people with Covid will be able to request sick leave without having to go to a doctor.
A further online facility, one for close contacts, is already in operation. People with Covid symptoms can make an appointment online for a diagnostic test.
Carandell recognised that the Omicron variant had taken "everyone by surprise". She therefore stressed the need to continue with the vaccination of the population and to separate attention to serious positive cases from those with only mild symptoms.
For people with mild symptoms, she is asking them to self-manage their situation and stay at home. If symptoms worsen, they should then contact the health service.
Regarding positive cases as a result of an antigen test, Carandell explained that it will not be necessary to confirm this with a PCR if the test has been done through the health system, either public or private, and soon also through pharmacies.
With positive self-tests, these will have to be confirmed if someone needs to request sick leave; the health service needs to be certain that a person has the disease.