Son Gotleu coronavirus cases are not an "outbreak"

Arranz added that the contagion has been "narrowed down" and that the eleven people who have been infected remain asymptomatic. (Four others who were negative were taken into hospital and isolated as well.) President Armengol had said on Sunday that there was no outbreak of coronavirus in Son Gotleu, only contagion. Arranz explained that there is a difference, as a new outbreak indicates an increase in transmission in a sustained manner in different places. "This is not the situation." The contagion is within a group of people "who are very close" and for whom contact was therefore high risk. "In terms of disease control, there are differences between outbreak and contagion."

He acknowledged that the source of the contagion among the group is not known. "It's difficult to know. It depends on the exposure period and on the contacts, but this is difficult to ascertain at a time when people are allowed out." Arranz observed that the pandemic is at a different phase to its initial stage, when there were no cases circulating within the Balearics; the cases then related to people who had come to the Balearics or had returned from elsewhere. "The virus is now circulating among us, albeit in a small way. We can get close to the origin, but we can't always find it."

Arranz stressed the need for people to be cautious, especially as mobility is now increasing and because "we will come across more cases like this one (in Son Gotleu)". "People want to have a normal life, but it is necessary to do this in a balanced way, little by little, and to expand one's circle slowly and not in a wild manner, as this could set us backwards."

Regarding the locutorio owned by the family in Son Gotleu, Arranz said that it had in fact been closed because of the state of alarm but that there was a small shop for selling various items where customers were served through a screen and with absolutely no direct contact. For any of these customers, therefore, there was very low risk of contagion.

This confirms what residents had said about the locutorio. They had described it as having been "half closed", with customers wanting to recharge their phone cards being served from behind a screen.