Isha Sesay
THE Balearic Islands has recorded its highest number of coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic.
The Department of Health revealed that in the last 24 hours, the region registered 707 new cases – a record for the Balearics.
This brings the total number of active cases to 5,459.
At present, the COVID-19 incident rate stands at 636.1 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, an increase from the 535.6 reached last week.
Mallorca remains the most problematic island with 485 new cases in 24 hours.
The municipalities with the highest incidence of infections on the island is Santa Eugenia with 640.6 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
Puigpunyent and Santa Maria follow with 546.7 and 501.7 cases respectively.
There are also 536 COVID-19 outbreaks being monitored in the region with 16% originating from social gatherings.
Meanwhile, the Balearic government has ordered the closure of all ‘non-essential services’ in Mallorca due to a surge in COVID-19 cases.
From January 12 until at least January 26, only ‘essential services’ will be available to the public, such as supermarkets and pharmacies.
This means that all bars, restaurants, spas, gyms, clothes shops and shopping centres will be closed.
Explaining the new measures, President Francina Armengol said the island was at ‘extreme risk of contagion’ and that closures were ‘absolutely necessary’.
She said: “We recognise that this is very tough but we are attempting to stop a wave of contagion that is currently spreading through the island.”
