Consell de Formentera premiere Alejandra Ferrer and the Balearic director of public health, Maria Antònia Font, held a press conference today 15 June at 6.00pm at the seat of local government to assess the epidemiological situation on the island and announce new public health measures in place from next Saturday. Formentera and the rest of the islands will remain at tier 1 of public health alert.

Ferrer said the island’s current Covid-19 figures were “positive”: “We’ve got five cases right now and everyone is at home with home care”. The cumulative incidence in the last 14 days is one per 100,000 and the positivity rate is 1.37%.

The figures fit snugly with what Ferrer described as a “good start to the season”. She praised “regular islanders and businesses for the effort they’ve made and continue to make to comply with constraints stemming from public health rules. Now that we’re loosening restrictions in light of improving Covid figures, we’re asking once again for help from residents and the island’s business community”.

Ms Font said the decision by the Govern to relax some of the exceptional and temporary constraints geared toward stopping spread of Covid-19, including the freeze on nightlife activity, stemmed from the fact that Formentera was the island with the best situation today, with an accumulated incidence of 25 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Bars and restaurants on all the islands may now open more hours as well, she said, and most services and facilities may now open at 75% capacity.

New measures

Social gatherings
There are no limitations on gatherings between friends and family, but caution is encouraged and measures devised to prevent Covid-19 spread, like promoting outdoor activities, should still be followed. Groups should limit their size to 15 when outdoors and 10 indoors.

Restaurants
Restaurants may open until 2.00am indoors and out. No more than six to a table inside, where seating shall be limited to 50%. At no time shall the total number of patrons exceed 150.

Up to 12 people per table are allowed outdoors, where restaurants can observe normal capacity provided the number of customers does not exceed 250.

Diners must stay 1.5m apart, wear masks and follow protocol at all times.

Nightlife
Cafés that offer entertainment, bars with food and normal bars may open in accordance with regulations applicable to the hospitality sector. Whether indoors or out, food and drinks may be consumed but this must be done while seated at the table, with 6 people per table inside and 12 people per table out. Diners who are not eating or drinking must wear a mask. Establishments must close by 2.00am at the latest, or earlier if so dictated by their licence. Dancing is not permitted indoors or outdoors.

Nightclubs must remain closed.

Beaches
Beaches and similar open-air public spaces will remain closed between 12 midnight and 6.00pm.

Shops
Local shops may open till 12 midnight at full capacity. Other measures —masks, social distancing, ventilation, hygiene— will also be required to prevent the spread of Covid.

The preceding measures will be approved Friday by the governing council and will come into force after their publication Saturday in the Balearic gazette.

Checks at ports and airports
In addition to measures to be approved on Friday in the extraordinary session of the governing council, domestic travellers arriving in the Balearics will be subject to new checks at ports and airports. Those controls too will take effect pending ratification by the Balearic Islands high court and publication in the regional gazette.

Vaccination
Lastly, President Ferrer touted 3,693 first doses of vaccination already administered on Formentera, and encouraged the population to “get vaccinated when the time comes, so that together we achieve herd immunity”.

Before the press conference, Ferrer sat with Ms Font; deputy premiere and councillor of commerce and entrepreneurship Ana Juan and the second deputy premiere and culture and education chief Susana Labrador to discuss Formentera’s unfolding epidemiological situation and new public health measures to be adopted. Ferrer and Font also held an online meeting with regional chief Francina Armengol, the other representatives of the island councils, the Balearic Islands Business Federation (FELIB) and the city council of Palma.

15 June 2021
Communications Department
Consell de Formentera

The Formentera Department of Mobility is pleased to report that evenings this summer from 15 June, the stretch of avinguda Miramar running from carrer Espalmador to the sea, and the expanse of carrer Punta Prima which is contained on either side by avinguda Miramar and carrer Xaloc, will become pedestrian-only.

In places where upgrades and other visual enhancements were completed this winter, vehicle traffic will be permitted from 7.00am to 8.00pm, though only for loading and unloading. Parking in those areas will remain prohibited.

As mobility chief Rafael González explained, “we hope to deliver a boost to businesses in this part of es Pujols, especially in the late afternoon and evening when footfall is highest”. “It’s just one of multiple operations in the area aimed at fomenting activity in the island’s tourist hub”, he added.

The strategy was agreed by area business owners in a meeting hosted by local government on 7 June.

Related efforts
Attendees of the same meeting also voted to allow traffic on carrer Xaloc from the roundabout towards the sea.

In the days ahead, two new park-and-ride lots will create parking to the southeast of town for 150 cars and 150 mopeds and, along the ring road, to 60 cars.

Vendors at the market in es Pujols can load and unload at no charge during two daily 30-minute slots in the car park under plaça Europa. Passes can be obtained at the plaça Europa car park office.

People with reduced mobility can park at no charge in the plaça Europa lot too. Those passes can also be obtained at the plaça Europa car park office.

15 June 2021
Communications Department
Consell de Formentera