Confinement is gradually easing.

Confinement is gradually easing. | Pere Bota

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma08/05/2020 19:01
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Spain's health minister Salvador Illa announced on Friday evening that Majorca, Minorca and Ibiza will all enter Phase 1 of the de-escalation plan this coming Monday. All the Balearic Islands will then be at Phase 1, Formentera having had this status since the start of this week.

From Monday, therefore, there will be some further easing of the confinement. Social gatherings of up to ten people will be permitted, but safe distancing must still be practised. Bar terraces with 50% capacity can open, and there will no longer be the need for an appointment to enter shops of no more than 400 square metres. These shops will need to restrict capacity to 30%. Shops of greater size will not be able to re-open.

The Madrid region will not enter Phase 1, its health minister Enrique Ruiz Escudero having admitted that the region does not meet the criterion for the ratio of beds per inhabitant that the health ministry is demanding. Madrid is hoping that it will be able to enter Phase 1 on Monday week (18 May).

The other regions, apart from the Balearics, which in their totality will be in Phase 1 from Monday are Aragon, Asturias, the Basque Country, the Canaries, Cantabria, Extremadura, La Rioja, Murcia and Navarre. The north African cities of Ceuta and Melilla will also be entering Phase 1.