Isha Sesay
THE Government of the Balearic Islands has revealed that in the last 24-hours, zero coronavirus infections have been detected in any of the region’s nursing homes.
Sharing the good news on her Twitter account, Balearic Health Minister, Patricia Gomez said:
“Today is an important day. No user of elderly residences in the Balearic Islands has tested positive for COVID-19.”
Gomez went on to thank the ‘thousands of professionals who have contributed to the vaccination programme’ and for their ‘commendable effort in the pandemic’.
Last November, the Spanish government revealed that nursing home residents and staff would be the first in the country to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
In the Balearic Islands, their regional vaccination programme went underway on December 27 and by February, led to COVID-19 infections falling by 52% in nursing homes alone.
The campaign did however come with controversy after it was exposed that the Balearic government had allowed six officials in Mallorca to be among the first to be vaccinated.
This included the director or mayors, Sofia Alonso, deputy director of chronic diseases, Angelica Miguelez and the director of nursing, Consu Mendez.
Vaccination coordinator, Carlos Villafafila, also received the vaccine, as well as two primary care managers, Miquel Caldentey and Noelia Martin.
According to the Balearic Health Council, the government failed to disclose in their official strategy that these people would be included in the first round of vaccinations and that none of these individuals worked day-to-day in nursing homes.
The council said that it was clearly specified that health are workers and vulnerable people, such as the elderly and disabled, would be the first in line.
Meanwhile, approximately 80,000 people in the Balearic Islands will be vaccinated every week from March.
Last week, the Balearic Department of Health said that preparations had begun for the mass vaccination programme which aims for 70% of the population to be protected against COVID-19 by June.
