Employers associations expressed their satisfaction with the desire to get back to work on the first day of Phase 1 in Majorca.
The president of the CAEB Confederation of Balearic Business Associations, Carmen Planas, said that it was a "priority" that activity, while guaranteeing people's health, should resume in sectors "which are capable of satisfying internal demand in order to avoid economic collapse". Jordi Mora, president of the Pimem small to medium-sized businesses federation, observed that employers have "put aside the despondency of confinement" in their anticipation of getting back to work.
After more than a month and a half of complete stoppage, two key sectors of the economy - retail and bars/restaurants - restarted activity. Juanmi Ferrer, the vice-president of the CAEB Majorca Restaurants Association, stated that some 20% of restaurants in Palma had reopened, while around 30% of bars and cafes were back in business. He believed that these percentages will increase over the coming days, emphasising that a return to some normality should be done with the utmost caution and social distancing.
Eugenia Cusí of the Pimem restaurants division said that "we cannot speak of percentages, but I believe that it has been consistent with the reopening of shops". The president of the Pimeco smaller retailers association, Antoni Fuster, noted that 80% of the 3,500 shops in Palma had reopened and "with all the necessary safety and hygiene measures". "We estimate that the losses for small retailers in Majorca amount to 120 million euros." Antoni Gayà of the Afedeco association put the reopening in Palma at between 35% and 60%, dependent on area.
Both CAEB and Pimem agree that a resumption of tourism will be key to rapid economic recovery. Planas said on Monday that it was vital that airports reopen to international tourism as soon as possible. "This should be an objective to be achieved no later than 1 July." She added: "We need to know the real incidence of coronavirus, and for this it is necessary to dramatically increase the number of tests. In this regard, business commitment is absolute."
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