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The new holiday vibe on Spain’s Balearic Islands: Illegal parties replace nightclubs

Police in Majorca broke up a secret 'Covid' party in the latest case of clandestine gatherings in which organisers disregard coronavirus health advice. The illegal party is a sign of the changed holiday scene on Spain's Balearic islands.

The new holiday vibe on Spain's Balearic Islands: Illegal parties replace nightclubs
AFP

At least 100 people were present at the party on Saturday in a house in the Costa de Calma in Calvia, which includes the resort of Magaluf. 

Other parties have been held in recent weeks on boats and in beach bars.

For tourists heading towards the Balearic Islands or other parts of Spain this summer, the experience will be very different than normal because of health restrictions imposed because of COVID-19. 

Many nightclubs in Majorca, Ibiza and Menorca said they will remain shut this year because restrictions mean customers cannot dance. 

Business groups representing companies involved in the nightlife sector in Majorca have said authorities on the island do not have enough resources to stop all these parties. 

In one case last weekend, police raided a beach bar in Oratori de Portals Nous beach because numbers exceeded the permitted limit, the Diario de Mallorca newspaper reported. 

Regional authorities said at beach bars or discos, only 33 percent of the normal capacity is allowed, and social distancing must be observed. 

In another case, police closed a party on the Costa de la Calma where about 100 people were celebrating.

Both parties were carefully organised with tickets sold for €35 each and the events were advertised on social media as pool parties. 

There was a bar, DJs and speakers as if these were professionally organised events. 

Calvia council, which oversees Magaluf,  said in a statement both events were “serious infractions” of health guidelines and the organisers could face fines of up between €30,000 and €300,000. 

Francina Armengol, president of the Balearic Islands regional government, said: “The virus is still amongst us. We cannot play with the health of society.”

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COVID-19

Public Health Agency recommends two Covid doses next year for elderly

Sweden's Public Health Agency is recommending that those above the age of 80 should receive two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine a year, once in the spring and once in the autumn, as it shifts towards a longer-term strategy for the virus.

Public Health Agency recommends two Covid doses next year for elderly

In a new recommendation, the agency said that those living in elderly care centres, and those above the age of 80 should from March 1st receive two vaccinations a year, with a six month gap between doses. 

“Elderly people develop a somewhat worse immune defence after vaccination and immunity wanes faster than among young and healthy people,” the agency said. “That means that elderly people have a greater need of booster doses than younger ones. The Swedish Public Health Agency considers, based on the current knowledge, that it will be important even going into the future to have booster doses for the elderly and people in risk groups.” 

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People between the ages of 65 and 79 years old and young people with risk factors, such as obesity, diabetes, poor kidney function or high blood pressure, are recommended to take one additional dose per year.

The new vaccination recommendation, which will start to apply from March 1st next year, is only for 2023, Johanna Rubin, the investigator in the agency’s vaccination programme unit, explained. 

She said too much was still unclear about how long protection from vaccination lasted to institute a permanent programme.

“This recommendation applies to 2023. There is not really an abundance of data on how long protection lasts after a booster dose, of course, but this is what we can say for now,” she told the TT newswire. 

It was likely, however, that elderly people would end up being given an annual dose to protect them from any new variants, as has long been the case with influenza.

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