01 May – Ibiza Covid19 Update

Covid19 figures for Ibiza & Formentera on 30/04/20 were as follows (via local press)

· 158 cases in total
· 39 Active Cases
· 20 in hospitals being monitored
· 7 in hospitals in intensive care
· 12 under surveillance at home
· 107 Discharged
· 12 fatalities

· 2 health workers at home being controlled by UVAC
· 14 health workers ‘active surveillance’
· 3 days without any new cases
· 23 days without any new cases admitted to intensive care
· 21 days since last fatality

These figures are updated daily at 1pm by Balearic Health Office

Its been a busy week for news! Firstly on Tuesday, Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez announced a 4 phase de-escalation approach to the current confinement measures. Different regions will have different timeframes depending on health advice but here’s a brief overview.

Phase 0 (measures include)
All residents able to exercise from tomorrow (details further down)
Small businesses able to open if they offer appointments
Restaurants can offer takeaways, hardware stores can reopen
Hairdressing salons by appointment only

Phase 1 (measures include)
Travel to 2nd homes allowed if in same province
Social contact between low risk people in the same town allowed
Car travel with people from same household
Cafe terraces can open at 30% of their usual capacity
Hotels can reopen but with no common areas

Phase 2 (measures include)
Restaurants/bars/Indoor venues can open to up to 30% occupancy
Educational centres can open for minors whose parents are both key workers
Hunting and fishing allowed, cultural places up to a 3rd of its capacity
Outdoor venues can reopen to a maximum of 400 (must be seated)

Phase 3 (measures include)
A relaxation of restrictions with a continued recommendation to wear masks outside of the home and on public transport. This phase is likely to be implemented in mid-June and will allow for visits to senior homes under conditions that will be established later.
Bars and restaurants will be able to open with a limit of 50% of capacity.

Ibiza is hoping to enter Phase 1 on Monday 4 May however this is yet to be confirmed. Each phase will be for a minimum of 2 weeks. In the best case scenario for some it will last 6 weeks and for others a maximum of 8 weeks. PM Sanchez said “by the end of June we will be in the new normal, the horizon is planned”

Yesterday Spanish Health Minister Salvador Illa announced a daily timetable for exercise from this weekend

ADULTS/14-17 YEAR OLDS:
1 hour walks alone or with 1 other member from same household
Must remain within a 1km radius of their home
Hours: 6-10am & 8-11pm

KIDS UNDER 14:
Max of 3 kids with 1 adult from same home
Max 1 hour/1 km radius from their home
Hours: 12pm-7pm

SENIORS OF 70+ & THOSE WITH CARERS:
Max 1 hour/1 km radius from their home
Hours: 10am-12pm & 7-8pm

Note: This timetable doesn’t apply to municipalities with less than 5000 residents however all of Ibiza’s 5 municipalities exceed this number

· Vicent Mari, President of Ibiza Island Council said yesterday that even if Ibiza starts phase 1 on Monday the problems for tourism will not be solved. He stressed that the resumption of ordinary flights to the island is not expected “for 2 or 3 months, depending on the scenario drawn up by the central and the Balearic government.” He said that entering directly into phase 1 is good news because it gives hope for a minimal tourist season that could occur in the middle of July or August based mainly on domestic tourism although he reiterated that 2020 will be a “difficult and hard” season. He also stressed that the important thing is to recover “little by little” to achieve normality and overcome the health crisis.

Amnesia have announced that they have cancelled their programme for May and June but signed off with “WE WILL DANCE TOGETHER AGAIN SOON”.

Spanish Authorities have specifically warned about fake news so local government websites and credible press/social media pages are the best places to gather important information, please pass on wherever possible.

The situation is evolving every day however the message is very clear – please follow the guidelines and together we will beat this disease and get on with the rest of our lives.

Best Regards – Stay Safe and Stay Home

With special thanks to Lesley Donald, Tricia Templeton and Julian Cobby

VERY IMPORTANT: INFORMATION TAKEN FROM CREDIBLE PRESS AND GOVERNMENT SOURCES HOWEVER THE SITUATION IS FLUID. THIS UPDATE IS WRITTEN FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND I TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY ERRORS GIVEN IN GOOD FAITH