History can teach us many things and what has been obvious over the last year is that if we lower our guard too early then we pay more in the long run.
The Ibiza COVID curve is there for all to see. Last August when our defences were low and mainly national tourism was busy, without any safeguards in place, the numbers surged having a major impact on the island and causing summer to come to a screeching halt. Autumn was quiet until the early December holiday along with the extended Christmas break that saw Ibiza go from being the envy of Spain to becoming the most contagious area in the whole country.
There is no mystery to this journey. Open borders brings risk and although we need to have a plan in place, it must be calculated with an underlying strategy.
Like many dedicated tourist destinations, Ibiza is on its knees. Many businesses are on the precipice, counting down the hours until the lifeblood of cash flow can start again but now, more than ever, we need to reopen slowly, focusing on the summer and for this to be a realistic target we must sacrifice any thoughts of opening at Easter.
Now is the time for the Ibiza and Balearic governments to make an early decision and maintain strict border controls until at least after the Easter holiday with a clear vaccination roadmap for residents. It can be the only solution.
Although there are tough decisions to be made, they are necessary for Ibiza to have a chance of any form of economic recovery in 2021. The consequences of an early opening only to then face a further lockdown over the peak summer months are too difficult to contemplate.
"MAN IN SAN AN" by Martin Makepeace 
Another hugely sensible article, Martin. There are so many of us longing to get back to the White Isle, but rushing into an opening at Easter may just cause another spike in infections, with the whole summer season put at risk. Much better to be realistic and delay the reopening for a few extra weeks, when vaccinations will have hopefully been achieved. Be assured, there are plenty of us who will be out on the first flights. Who knows, there may even be some cricket for us to watch!
LikeLiked by 1 person