THE Balearic government has announced that the interior area of bars and restaurants will be able to reopen from this Sunday under capacity limits and set operating hours.

This week, key ministers met with local business unions to negotiate easing the current coronavirus restrictions on the sector.

In these discussions, unions were adamant to persuade the government to allow the reopening of all interior areas which have been strictly prohibited to be used by the public for months.

Under the new rules, effective from May 23, bars and restaurants can open their interior spaces until 6pm Monday to Sunday.

For those establishments with a terrace, the capacity indoors must not exceed 30%, and for those without a terrace, the capacity must be limited to 50%.

Although a very small victory for a sector in crisis, business unions are hoping that the government will allow bars and restaurants to stay open until 11pm to coincide with the curfew also being pushed back to midnight from Sunday.

According to the Confederation of Business Associations (CAEB), although disappointed, they will ‘continue to work to ensure interior areas can open at 100% capacity’.

Meanwhile, the Balearic government has revealed that domestic tourists will not have to present a negative PCR test to be allowed entry into the archipelago if they have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Speaking at the FITUR 2021 conference this week, President Francina Armengol said this rule, also effective from Sunday, would go towards their ‘goal of attracting travellers from Spain to visit the region this summer’.

Those not vaccinated will still have to comply with the rules currently in force at airports and ports.

Under this plan to boost domestic tourism, residents of the Balearic Islands will also be given €100 vouchers to spend on inter-island escapes.

The voucher can be used to pay or go towards the cost of a hotel booking where the minimum stay must be at least two nights with the trip being booked through an approved travel agency and hotel.

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