Mallorca and Ibiza to reintroduce strict public health measures amid rising Covid cases

Mallorca and Ibiza are reintroducing a range of public health measures amid a surge in new Covid-19 cases.

Spain’s Balearic Islands, a popular choice for British holidaymakers, is banning all events which involve people from different households mixing for at least two weeks.

Restaurants will have to close at 1am, and the number of diners per table will be cut from six to four indoors, and 12 to eight outdoors.

The same reduced numbers will apply at bars and cafes. Access to beaches will also be curbed at 10pm.

Tourism minister Iago Negueruela said: “The objective is to attack the excesses and maintain economic activity in safe conditions.”

The current infection rate of the Balearics is 669 per 100,000 residents over the past 14 days.

In response to rising cases, the islands were moved from the UK’s green watchlist to its amber list at the Department for Transport’s latest review, with changes coming into effect from 19 July.

It means that unvaccinated adults must quarantine for 10 days when arriving back into the UK, alongside taking three Covid tests.

From the same date, the government loosened restrictions for fully vaccinated Brits and accompanying minors entering Britain from amber countries.

Under 18s and those who’ve had their second Covid jab at least 14 days prior can swerve quarantine and follow rules for green list arrivals instead – travellers must take one pre-departure and one post-arrival Covid test.

However, there are some fears that Spain could be at risk of joining France in the government’s new “amber plus” category for travel, necessitating quarantine for returning travellers even if they’re fully vaccinated.

France was classified as an exception to the rule relaxation over fears about the beta virus variant, and arrivals from there are still subject to the former amber restrictions.

There are now concerns that Spain could be added to this new category after data revealed that 9.3 per cent of Spain’s Covid cases in the last month were the beta variant, which originated in South Africa.

This is almost double the percentage found in France over the same period – 3.7 per cent, according to the Gisaid research centre.