Pollensa and the vaccination "cover-up"

Over last weekend there were clearly discussions, as on Thursday last week Cerdà and Mayor Tomeu Cifre had been asked at the council meeting if they had been vaccinated. This came up at the end of the meeting. Miquel Àngel March of Junts Avançam, the former mayor, suggested that there was “social outcry” in Pollensa as it was being said that she had been vaccinated. Cerdà didn’t answer. Her silence just increased the suspicion, Cifre explaining that there were matters which may or may not be confidential and that everything would have been done in accordance with medical criteria and health ministry authorisation.

Earlier in the week, Joana Aina Campomar, who is a Junts councillor and also a deputy for Més in the Balearic parliament, had registered a question for the health ministry to explain how many vaccines had been administered in Pollensa, how many people not belonging to the health service had been immunised, how many public officials in Pollensa had received the vaccine and how many people are periodically given PCR tests in compliance with established protocols. Campomar had basically blown the lid off the matter.

Cifre, while sidestepping the vaccination question at the council meeting, admitted that he and Cerdà had periodically undergone PCR tests and that these had been paid for by “the public system”. The mayor added by saying that “whatever has to be said will be said when we have all the data”.

On the Friday, Cerdà told ‘Punt Informatiu’ that she had not been vaccinated, while Cifre referred to “data protection” in avoiding a question about the vaccination. On the Monday morning, there was the press conference. Yes, Cerdà had been vaccinated; no, the mayor had not been.

The opposition parties are demanding that there is payment of the cost of the PCRs - put at some 4,000 euros because there have been tests every fortnight since May - and that the councillor and the mayor resign. It is being maintained, however, that Cerdà worked at the home, something which the opposition aren’t having. Why does she supposedly have to be there each day? What tasks does she have? Was she not able to communicate with the care home management online or over the phone? The opposition believe that an excuse has been looked for in order to justify the vaccination.

Cifre may have had a point about data protection when he avoided questions the week before last. An opposition charge of his having sought to cover up the vaccination has validity, but there may have been a justification. Even so, none of this looks very good for the mayor or for the councillor. The resignation calls aren’t about to go away; the reputations of both have been damaged.