Happy New Year: Majorca Closes Bars At 6pm And Introduces Curfew At 10

Story By: Juan Mayes, Sub-Editor: Joana Mihajlovska, Agency:  Newsflash

Officials in the Spanish resort of Majorca have approved stricter COVID-19 measures that force local bars and businesses to close at 6pm while anyone still on the streets needs to return home by 10pm even on New Year’s Eve.

The new restrictions were announced in a press release by the local government in the Spanish autonomous community of the Balearic Islands on 27th December.

The measures will force shops, restaurants, and bars to close several hours earlier, doubling-down on a curfew that was previously set by the local government.

@GovernIllesBalears/Newsflash

The decision to approve the stricter measures came after cases of COVID-19 started to rise again, particularly affecting the tourist island of Majorca.

In Majorca, bars which previously remained open until 10pm will now have to close by 6pm while shops, which had the same schedule as bars, will have to shut by 8pm.

Large public areas will not be allowed to open on weekends or holidays and the capacity in large car parks was reduced to 50 percent.

Balearic Islands president Francina Armengol announced that following a conversation with government officials, she has decided to impose a 10pm curfew every day which will include New Year’s Eve.

President Armengol explained: “The measures adopted two weeks ago will be reinforced to avoid social relaxation and gatherings.”

The new restrictions are set to take effect for two weeks beginning on 29th December and will be revised on 11th January.

While Majorca has adopted harsher measures, Ibiza and Menorca will keep the same restrictions announced two weeks ago.

The island of Formentera has passed from alert level two to three which will limit social interactions to six people and reduce the number of people allowed in shops.

President Armengol said Mallorca has reported 607 cases for every 100,000 citizens while Menorca has 132 cases, Ibiza 144, and Formentera 586 in the past 14 days.

She added the entire region has 328 people hospitalised for the virus showing a 45 percent increase to the previous week.

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