First Vaccinations in the Balearics
94-year-old care home resident Avelina Serrano, and the Nursing coordinator of the Oms-Sant Miquel elderly people’s home, María Cutillas, became the first two people from the Balearic Islands to have received the vaccine against covid-19.
Both received the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. The vaccination coordinator of the Health Service, Carlos Villafáfila, said that the vaccinations had been administered ‘without incident or reaction’ and that the recipients were both ‘very happy’.
Over the weekend 55 residents who have given their consent (of the 73 who reside in Oms-Sant Miquel), and 79 professionals (of the 172 who work there) have received the vaccine.
Sant Josep Health Area Incidence Rate Quadruples in a Week, but Sant Agusti Still the Highest.
All municipalities in Ibiza show an increased incidence rate over the past 7 days, but Sant Jordi and Can Misses (the area, not hospital) have zero cases.
The incidence rate (cases per one hundred thousand people) of coronavirus has quadrupled in the Sant Josep health area during the last week. The alarming news was announced by the Epidemiology service, their 31st report since the start of the pandemic.
Sant Josep’s incidence rate has risen from 23 cases per one hundred thousand inhabitants registered between December 8 and 14, to the latest figure of 124 cases per 100,000 between December 15 and 21.
Though Sant Josep is by some margin the most negative change in Ibiza, however it is not the worst incidence rate overall. The adjoining health area of Sant Agusti holds that unwanted title with 274 cases per 100,000, a figure that has risen 62.1% in the last week from its previous 169 rate.
There are thirty health zones in the Balearic Islands with a higher incidence than that of Sant Josep, among them, Formentera, with 503 cases per one hundred thousand inhabitants, and the worst of all Rafal Nou with 565.
On a brighter front there are two health areas in Ibiza that have zero cases : Sant Jordi and Can Misses-Eixample. Both have reduced their incidence from the 18 and 5 cases per 100,000 respectively, registered the previous week.
In addition to Sant Josep and Formentera, Ibiza Town and Sant Antoni have recorded significant increases. Ibiza Town went from 73 to 185 cases, and Sant Antoni from 29 to 74.
Reflecting a disappointing week across the Island, only two municipalities, Santa Eulària and Ibiza, have figures that did not more than double between December 15 and 21 compared to the previous week.
In Santa Eulària, the incidence went from 63.1 cases per 100,000 inhabitants to 89.4 (41.7% more) and in Ibiza from 68.3 to 94.4 (an increase of 38.2%).
Although they are the municipalities with the lowest increase in cases, they are also among the highest incidence in the island. The municipality with the least infected per population is Sant Joan, with 31.3, double that of the previous week.
The highest incidence rate in Ibiza is Ibiza Town with 38.11, followed by Sant Antoni with 24.6. Despite their cases doubling in the last week, the lowest rate is that of Sant Joan with 9.54 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
Formentera Outbreak Results in Move to Level 3
Francina Armengol announces that the island will have more restrictions due to the increase in infections. The island of Ibiza remains at level 2
The increase in covid cases in Formentera resulting from an outbreak traced back to a funderal wake has forced the Government to increase the restrictions on the island, going from level 2 to level 3. In the latest announcements it was confirmed that Ibiza will remain on its current level 2.
The latest news was announced by the president of the Government, Francina Armengol, in a press conference following a meeting with the presidents of the island councils, including Ibiza Consell President, Vicent Marí, and that of Formentera, Alejandra Ferrer.
Menorca is at level 3 and Mallorca at 4 with an increase in restrictions.
The new measures will be approved tomorrow at the Government Council and will come into effect on Tuesday and will remain for at least 15 days.
Cumulative incidence
The accumulated incidence (AI) of coronavirus at 14 days in Ibiza is 144 cases per 100,000 inhabitants and 72 x 100,000 at seven days. The positivity rate is 5.5%.
In Formentera the AI at 14 days is 586 x 100,000 inhabitants and at seven days it is 247. The positivity rate is 17.2%.
Level 3 restrictions (Formentera)
- Social gatherings : Maximum of six people both indoors and outdoors.
- Mobility : Curfew from midnight to 6 am
- Hospitality : Inside, only six people can sit per table. If the ventilation is high risk, the capacity should be 30%, if it is medium risk, 50% if the capacity is greater than or equal to 50 people, and 60% if the capacity is less than 50 clients. On the terraces, the capacity must be a maximum of 75%.
- All stores must be closed at midnight and the use of bars is prohibited.
- Places of ceremonies and worship : Outside, a maximum of 40 people may congregate and 20 inside, as long as 30% of the capacity is not exceeded.
- Tobacco : You can smoke on the street except on the terraces and when you cannot keep the two meters of safety distance.
- Shops : The maximum capacity is 50% and must be closed at 10 pm.
- Sports : In sports spaces with medium risk of ventilation, the capacity will be 50% (maximum of 15 people in directed activities). With high risk the capacity will be 30% and with a maximum of six people in the directed activities.
- Shows : Cinemas with 45% capacity and theaters with 50%.
Level 2 restrictions (Ibiza)
- Social gatherings: Maximum of ten people outside and six inside.
- Mobility: Curfew from midnight to 6 am.
- Hospitality: Inside, only six people can sit per table. If the ventilation is high risk, the capacity should be 40%, if it is medium risk, 50% if the capacity is greater than or equal to 50 people, and 70% if the capacity is less than 50 clients. On the terraces, the capacity must be a maximum of 75% and a maximum of ten people per table.
- All stores must be closed at midnight and the use of bars is prohibited.
- Places of ceremonies and worship: A maximum of 60 people may congregate outside and 30 inside as long as 50% of the capacity is not exceeded.
- Tobacco: You can smoke on the street except on the terraces and when you cannot keep the two meters of safety distance.
- Shops: The maximum capacity is 75%.
- Sports: In sports spaces with high and medium ventilation risk, the capacity will be 50% (maximum of 15 people in directed activities). Outdoor activities and excursions may have a participation of up to 30 people.
- Shows: Cinemas with 45% capacity and theaters with 50%.
Ibiza has Moderna and Pfizer Vaccine Freezers Installed
The three machines are installed in the basement of the old Can Misses, next to the Pfizer freezer which is already in place.
The freezers that will keep the doses of Moderna vaccine administered to residents of the Pitiusas have arrived in Can Misses Hospital, according to the Ibiza and Formentera Health Area yesterday. The three freezers will store the Moderna vaccine at the required 26 degrees below zero. The freezers cost a few euros shy of 11,000€.
The new Moderna freezers have been installed in the renovated basement of the old Can Misses hospital alongside the 86 degrees below zero Pfizer freezers already installed. This new area will be the vaccine warehouse for Ibiza and Formentera.
The facility has tough security measures to guard against theft, something that has already been a problem in some European countries. In a press release the health Authority detailed the security measures in place, and though this has been reported widely in the Spanish local press, we won’t be publishing that information as to do so seems a bit daft really.
Hilario Díaz, Deputy Director of Management of the Ibiza and Formentera Health Area, acknowledged after the installation of the freezers that the ideal location for the coronavirus vaccine warehouse would have been closer to the Pharmacy service. However this was not possible since the weight of the six machines could compromise the structure of the new building.
