Social gatherings reduced to a maximum of SIX people in Spain’s Ibiza and Mallorca from Wednesday

SOCIAL gatherings in Ibiza and Mallorca will be restricted to just six people from Wednesday.

The President of the Government of the Balearic Islands, Francina Armengol, announced the news at a press conference this morning.

The restrictions will start on Wednesday, October 21 and serves to reduce the spread of coronavirus on the two islands.

Armengol noted that the new measure, which has reduced gatherings from ten people to six, will also be maintained ‘for as long as it takes’.

The President explained that although the ‘region was one of the least affected communities in Spain’ by COVID-19, ‘a greater effort to flatten the curve must be made’.

She also said that the restriction has been enforced as social gatherings are ‘proven to be the main source of infections’.

Formentera and Menorca have been excluded due to both having a lower number of infections than the two other islands.

The Balearic Islands have been classified as a medium risk area for COVID-19, however the government’s objective is for the region to become a low-risk area.

For this the 14-day incidence has to fall below 50 cases, the positivity has to remain below 5%, the occupation of hospitals has to also be below 5% and ICUs should have no more than 10% of coronavirus patients admitted.

The new rule applies to social gatherings in public and in private, although more people will be allowed to gather for weddings, communions, funerals and wakes.

Meanwhile, more than 600 children have been diagnosed with coronavirus in the Balearic Islands since the school term began in September. 

A total of 619 youngsters have contracted COVID-19 in the region, with 105 testing positive last week.