The number of new infections in Mallorca continues to rise sharply.
The tourism industry of the popular holiday island fears considerable economic effects.
Palma de Mallorca - The daily new infections with the corona virus are still at a constantly low level.
The 7-day incidence has stabilized around a value of five in the past few days, and the federal government's vaccination campaign is getting underway due to new vaccine deliveries.
Reason enough for many citizens to fly to the sea again this summer after a year and a half of the pandemic.
Coronavirus in Mallorca: new infections are increasing sharply - incidence well over 50
But from Mallorca, the favorite island of the Germans, there have been worrying reports of new infections and the spread of the dangerous Delta variant in the last few days.
According to the figures of the Balearic state government, the 7-day incidence on Mallorca rose to 85.1 at the weekend and is thus well above the important limit of 50, from which the federal government can declare a region a risk area.
The increase is due, among other things, to a large number of young people from mainland Spain who wanted to celebrate their graduation on the party island.
In the end, the Spanish authorities registered over 1800 infections that could be linked to the party holidaymakers on Mallorca.
Could these developments now also have an impact on German holidaymakers?
Coronavirus on Mallorca: concern about "dramatic" consequences - is there a risk of being classified as a virus variant area?
“If someone intends to come to Mallorca to behave badly, then they should better stay at home right away,” warned country manager Francina Armengol last, addressing reckless party tourists in particular. But the tourism industry in the Balearic Islands cannot really afford another summer without an increased number of tourists. Simón Pedro Barceló, head of the Mallorcan hotel group Barceló, spoke to waz.de of the "dramatic" consequences that a renewed worsening of the infection situation would have on the economy of Mallorca.
Willi Verhuven, head of the tour operator Alltours, is also worried about developments in the popular holiday region.
It would be a terrible scenario from the point of view of the tourism industry if the Robert Koch Institute declared the Balearic Islands or all of Spain to be a virus variant area due to the spreading delta variant.
Then vacationers would inevitably have to go into a 14-day quarantine after returning home.
A scenario that has already become a reality in Portugal.
Mallorca: Popular vacation island of the Germans because of Corona on the "edge of the abyss"
"If that happens to Mallorca as well, then the 2021 summer season is over and we have to close the hotels," Verhueven told waz.de.
For the Alltours boss Mallorca is already on the "edge of the abyss" and spoke out in favor of moving the curfew to the front again.
Mallorca could, however, benefit from the fact that the Delta variant is also on the advance in Germany and could become the dominant Corona variant in the course of the summer.
In addition, the first study results have shown that the vaccines approved in Europe also offer protection against the Delta variant.
Therefore, the Minister of Health recently spoke out in favor of removing Portugal and Great Britain from the list of virus variant areas again.
For this reason, a classification of Spain as a virus variant area seems rather unlikely at this point in time. However, the responsible authorities will follow developments in the Balearics with concern.
(fd)
