News
The people’s paper ISSUE NO. 1854
14 - 20 January 2021
MALLORCA • WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM
FREE • GRATIS
STRICTER RULES INTRODUCED WITH effect from January 12 and running until January 26, all bars and restaurants in Mallor ca were, for the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic, closed completely to the public. The Balearic Government has taken this and several other new measures in order to try to limit the growing spike in Covid19 in fections. Other measures mean that commercial establishments more than 700 metres in size will only be able to sell essential products, such as food and hy giene products and gyms will be closed as well. Smaller businesses and shops will still be required to close by 8pm and limit the number of people allowed in to 30 per cent of capacity, although bars and
FIRST TIME: All bars and restaurants to close completely. restaurants will be allowed to arrange home delivery and limit ed collection of food from their premises. Then from January 13 addi tional rules came into place whereby approval for gatherings which were composed of up to
six people were revoked and on ly those who were considered to be in the same bubble could get together with some notable ex ceptions. So suddenly, in the face of continued increase in reported infections, Mallorca has become
a much different place, with re ports appearing that say even Palma had become something of a ghost town with many shops deciding to remain closed and few people venturing onto the streets. The clamp down on bars
and restaurants who are now only allowed to serve takeaway food has seen two immediate responses, firstly members of the hospitality sector have called for the resignation of Balearic Gov ernment President Francina Armengol who was forced to respond in a video speech explaining that her actions were for the good of all in a bid to curb infec tions.
Secondly, many of those living in Palma have demanded that the street parking spaces which had been given over to bars and restaurants should be returned for parking as so many people would have to work from home. As the Balearic Islands have the third highest number of coronavirus cases in Spain be hind Extremadura and Madrid the Government is facing a dilemma in trying to solve the problem.