Isha Sesay
A TOTAL of 51,000 people in the Balearic Islands will be vaccinated against coronavirus by April next year, the government has vowed.
Health Minister Patricia Gomez said the region will receive 102,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine with each patient requiring two jabs.
The first to be protected against COVID-19 will be vulnerable groups and healthcare professionals.
This will include 5,500 elderly and disabled people, as well as 43,000 health workers.
She said: “It is important that we prioritise the vulnerable population in the first phase, but vaccinations will be progressive throughout next year.”
In anticipation of their arrival, Gomez said her department was ‘very busy working on all of the logistics necessary’ to roll out the vaccine.
She explained that the biggest challenge is to ensure doses are stored in ultra-cold temperatures of below 70C in order for them to be effective.
“We have already purchased ultra-freezers, syringes and needles to be completely prepared,” said Gomez.
“The objective is not to be the first, but to do it with the safest health guarantees.”
Meanwhile, the Balearic Government has stepped up its fight against COVID-19 in Mallorca, bringing the curfew forward by two hours.
It will now begin at 10pm and end at 6am the next day until at least December 21.
President Francina Armengol said the measure serves to combat the growth in coronavirus cases which has seen an upward trend over the past week.
Armengol also announced that the use of the indoors of bars and restaurants in Lloseta, Soller, Sa Pobla and Muro would also be prohibited due to their high number of infections.
