Balearic government spokesperson Pilar Costa.

TW
0

The Balearic government is repeating its request for travel between the islands to be authorised by the Spanish government. Spokesperson Pilar Costa said on Friday that there has not been any response to the original written request, adding that the islands are "in full readiness for mobility between the islands given the evolution of the pandemic".

Costa explained that there is no authorisation at present because, for mobility purposes, the individual islands are treated as separate units by the Spanish government. She accepted that the Balearic government had asked for this when the state of alarm was declared. "We wanted total closure, but the positive evolution of the healthcare data now leads us to request mobility between the islands as happens on the mainland within the same province."

President Armengol, she added, will be restating the case for inter-island travel during Sunday's videoconference involving Prime Minister Sánchez and the regional presidents.

With regard to Formentera entering de-esclation Phase 3 from this coming Monday while the other islands remain at Phase 2, Costa said that the ministry of health is insisting that phases last for two weeks. The government will be requesting that Majorca, Minorca and Ibiza advance to Phase 3 from June 8, which is the date that was envisaged under the de-escalation programme.

Because the islands are treated separately, unrestricted travel between them can't restart until the "new normality" begins at the end of Phase 3 (June 22), unless the Spanish government accedes to the Balearics request to treat the islands as a single province.