The Hotel Palma Bellver, one of the 'Covid' hotels. | Teresa Ayuga

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Balearic tourism ministry sources were saying on Saturday evening that maintaining control of the epidemiological situation in Mallorca is key to preventing any change to the UK's green listing.

The Balearic government does not believe that the number of positive cases among Spanish students who have been on trips to Mallorca (and Minorca) will result in the islands being put back on the amber list, but there is no hiding the fact that there is concern. All necessary contacts are therefore being made to explain the situation to the UK government and to tour operators.

Some 850 students who were in Mallorca are now known to have tested positive on return to their respective regions of Spain. The highest number is in Madrid - 363; a further 3,000 have had to isolate.

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In Mallorca, 268 students are isolating in seven so-called Covid hotels. They had close contact with positive cases and have been placed "under surveillance" pending the results of tests.

There isn't only concern in the Balearics. Spain's tourism minister Reyes Maroto has appealed for young people to show "responsibility". She has also insisted that the situation in Mallorca (with the students) is specific, is being investigated and cannot be generalised.

While there isn't evidence to suggest that infected students have been a cause of infections in the wider community, the number of new positive cases is going up. Last week, there were 100 new cases in one day. The health ministry doesn't issue reports over the weekend, but data yet to be totally verified and which relate to Friday point to 73 new cases and a positivity rate of 2.21%. These cases are for the whole of the Balearics.