Holiday island Mallorca: “As if nothing was!”

Mallorca is again a corona risk area. But that hardly prevents holidaymakers from traveling to the island anyway. Why also? Hardly any restrictions can be felt.

The historic tram passes in front of Andrés Mitter’s shop in Port de Sóller, a crowd-puller in the north of Mallorca. The train is almost completely full, the vacationers are back on the island. Andrés lives from them. Nevertheless, he looks skeptically out of the door of his shop for sports equipment and hiking supplies. “We are in a situation in which the number of infections is rising again. Let’s see whether the shops can stay open and we have an autumn season after the summer.” This is the most important season, he says. When he sees what’s happening on the island, he thinks it’s difficult.

From Wednesday to Thursday, the health authorities in the Balearic Islands recorded more new corona infections than ever before. Almost 800 tests were positive. So far, a day in January was a sad record holder with almost 780 new cases. The seven-day incidence in Mallorca and the other islands has risen to 265, according to local authorities. From the value of 200 the Robert Koch Institute thinks about declaring a region to be a high incidence area.

Carefree, despite the Delta variant

“People have become more carefree,” says Andrés. “There are hardly any restrictions: you can now walk across the street without a mask. Look over there, four, five, six, seven people are walking in a group – all without a mask.” Even when you are in the fresh air, the Delta variant is a new type of virus that is significantly more contagious. “I think restrictions are needed today.”

Carefree also at Playa de Palma, the famous beach and party mile east of the island’s capital. People are in each other’s arms, singing along to the party songs that echo from the loudspeakers of the bars. Here a bachelorette party, there a sports club. “As if nothing was!” Says Tim from Osnabrück, who is on vacation with his girlfriend on Mallorca. “We both had the second vaccination behind us and it was 14 days ago. Even if Mallorca is a risk area, it is quite relaxed for us. You feel safer.”

Night life is shifting to the beach

Because clubs and discos have not yet been allowed to open, the nightlife often shifts to the beach itself. Large groups then celebrate on the promenade. Some holidaymakers understand this, as does this tourist: “The young people also have a right to their lives. Some riot, but they were also locked up for a long time. And they have now graduated from school.

Exactly a year ago, the island government took action at this point and closed many party bars. Now the Balearic government rejects new corona restrictions and refers to the relaxed situation in the hospitals on the islands. Only twelve percent of the intensive care beds are currently occupied. Mallorca and the neighboring islands are not yet planning a night curfew, as other Spanish regions want to introduce or have already introduced due to the sharply rising corona numbers.