Balearic Islands among regions of Spain removed from coronavirus risk list by Germany

GERMAN travellers will now be able to visit some regions of Spain without the need for quarantine on their return, authorities in Berlin announced on Friday.

From Sunday, Spain’s Balearic Islands, Castilla-La Mancha, Valencia, Murcia, La Rioja and Extremadura regions will no longer be considered risk areas, according to the updated list published by Germany’s Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases.

The rest of Spain, including the Canary Islands remain on the “risk list” meaning travellers returning to Germany must undergo a mandatory 10-day quarantine as well as testing on arrival or within 48 hours.

Tourists arrive in Spain Coronavirus airport — Parts of Spain have now been removed from Germany’s “risk list”. Photo: Andrés Gutiérrez/dpa

Infection incidence has fallen sharply across Spain since the peak of the third wave in January. The 14-day cumulative number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 inhabitants now stands at 132.25 on average across Spain down from 899 at the peak in January 26th.

However, the seven-day incidence on Mallorca now stands at 20 new cases per 100,000 people, far below Germany’s 72.4 at the moment.

Germany’s move gives a much welcomed green-light to kickstart tourism most notably on the island of Mallorca, the favourite destination for German visitors to Spain.

“With the lifting of the travel warning for the Balearic Islands, the prospects of holidaymakers for an Easter holiday under the sun are improving,” said the German Travel Association in a statement.

Tour operator TUI announced that it would operate flights to Mallorca from Hanover, Duesseldorf and Frankfurt from March 21st and expected a jump in last-minute bookings for the Easter holidays.

But while German visitors will be welcomed to the islands, restrictions imposed by Spain’s health authorities over Easter will prevent tourists from other parts of Spain from visiting.