The Balearic Government has asked the court to expand the use of Covid Passports to the Hospitality Sector from this Saturday. They are already required for entry to clubs and discos and Nursing Homes.
The ruling will apply to bars, restaurants, cafe concerto and indoor catering spaces with capacity for more than 50 customers, including those located in tourist accommodation, sports facilities, recreational centres for the elderly and gambling and betting venues.
Various Levels
The level of alert in the Balearics changes according to the rate of infection and if any of the Islands move to level 2 on Friday, a Covid Passport will also be required for entry to shelters, hostels and other tourist accommodation with shared rooms.
The Government has already made it clear that if the risk level increases, restrictions will follow.
At level 3, a Covid Passport would be required for entry to cinemas, circus marquees, gyms, bodybuilding rooms, dance academies and other establishments where cultural activities are carried out, if food and drinks are allowed.
If the TSJIB agrees with the Government, from this Saturday until January 24, it will be mandatory for customers to prove that they have been double vaccinated, the virus has already passed or provide a negative PCR test carried out less than 72 hours before entry, or an antigen test 48 hours before entry.
Double justification
The Government has the support of the Social Dialogue Table to expand the use of Covid Passports in order to avoid introducing new restrictions.
"It has been proven that the solution is vaccination and we do not want to approve more restrictions," said Government spokesperson and Tourism Minister, Iago Negueruela. "Controlling access to premises is an obligation of employers. We want to ensure that premises are safer and avoid new restrictions in Sectors that have already had a complex year.”
The proposal to expand the use of the Covid Passport came from the Hospitality Sector as a means of avoiding new restrictions.
"It is not a question of opinion or belief, it’s the responsibility of citizens in the face of the pandemic," said Minister Negueruela, who stressed that 83% of the population is already vaccinated and is hopeful that making Covid Passports mandatory will encourage more people to get their jabs.
The Government estimates that around 220,000 people in the Balearic Islands have still not been vaccinated. Around 40,000 of those have been vaccinated in other Autonomous Communities and approximately 23,000 are vehemently opposed to being vaccinated, which leaves around 160,000.
When similar measures were introduced in Navarre, a lot more people came forward to be vaccinated and the Government is hoping the same thing will happen here.
The proposals will affect around 2,500 restaurants in the Balearic Islands and it has the support of the UGT and CCOO Unions, CAEB and PIMEM.
7 comments
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Franco must be be looking down and saying to himself " If only I knew you could get away with this when I was in charge. I was a puppy!"
I've had covid and am quite happy to take an antigen test 15mins before being admitted to a covid pass venue as long as those with the pass do as well.
Tim, yes, you can pass it to others. But because of the vaccine, the viral quantity that you can spread is very small. An unvaccinated person can be a super spreader. The severity of a viral infection is mostly decided by the viral quantity.
Tim, the ONLY reason this vaccine exist ia to keep people out of hospitals and ic's and getting not seriously ill. It is not a cure, it is not the end of Corona. It is purely there to not overload health systems and in case u have a serious car accident or heart failure, there is space for you in a hospital. The proof you are looking for is abundantly proven. The dumbos who do not wish to vaccinate, well, they end up on the IC's, using up.valuable space for other's with their anti-social behaviour.
@Tim, because its about control. If people still think any of this makes sense then they have lost the plot and truely have covid anxiety problems brought on by the constant fear being fed by media and politicians for nearly 2 years. I'm not sure anybody is going to remember what normal life was like. Or will we ever have it back. We are living in this perpetual fear for very little reason and so many people are still excepting it for very little. Nothing is backed up by science anymore, only more fear. The booster shot 3! Where is the science to back it up?? But people will get in the queue and take it, and expect more restrictions on there freedoms for something that kills 0.4% and 80% of people are asymptomatic. It's all bonkers and makes no sense
Tim, has the fact evaded you that Covid is here to stay like the common cold and flu, and the best we will ever do to eradicate it is to make certain it is a painless and non terminal as possible. Testing just costs money and creates concern, did you know that 10K PCI tests a month were received in UK with no return address to inform the supplier, just think of the cost for nothing. Where did I get this info snitbit? From a testing centre because I wanted a home test kit. It might interest you the the "gov.uk" site is having problems to register for kits! Just be happy with the fact you have been vaccinated and have a good chance of having a happy retirement.
"It has been proven that the solution is vaccination and we do not want to approve more restrictions," Please let me know where I can see the proof of this statement. I thought the solution would be extensive testing of people as vaccinated people still freely transmit the virus don't they? I am vaccinated and worry about passing it onto others at these venues because there is no restrictions for me. It doesn't quite make sense.