State of alarm

Health minister to decide which regions enter de-escalation Phase 1

Health minister Salvador Illa will be making decisions regarding Phase 1. | Efe

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterMadrid06/05/2020 15:05

Dr. Fernando Simón, the director of the Centre for Coordination of Health Alerts and Emergencies, explained on Wednesday that the final decisions regarding which parts of the country move into Phase 1 of de-escalation from this coming Monday will be made by the health minister, Salvador Illa.

The minister's decisions will be based on reports from a group of twelve people from the public health directorate. Simón stressed that he couldn't say if these reports will be favourable or not and that he is not involved with the process. Provinces, regions and the north African cities of Ceuta and Melilla are providing information which will form the basis of these reports. There are various criteria which have to be met in order that Phase 1 can be approved.

Simón refused to name the people who will be coming up with these reports. There is pressure from society and "especially from the media". Naming the people would make it more difficult for them to work "with absolute freedom".

The health ministry in the Balearics submitted its information on Tuesday and requested that Majorca be allowed to enter Phase 1 on Monday. The regional government is still hoping that Minorca and Ibiza will enter Phase 1 before then. The health minister, Patricia Gómez, has emphasised the low incidence of the virus in Majorca and the Balearics.