Following the Governing Council meeting today, the Government spokesman, Julio Perez, announced that Tenerife is moving to Level 4 restrictions due to the "worrying" level of the pandemic and the pressure on the healthcare system on the island.
Pérez confirmed that the indicators "will be revised" and that the levels that mark the healthcare pressure in the islands are rising, the basis on which this change in level in Tenerife is based.
Pérez announced that Tenerife will rise to Level 4, Gran Canaria and La Palma go up to level 3 in which Fuerteventura remains, Lanzarote and La Gomera go to level 2 and El Hierro remains at level 1.
These level changes will take effect from midnight tonight, except in the case of Tenerife, which will do so once it is published in the Official Gazette of the
Canary Islands (BOC).
They also announced that the Covid certificate will be needed for all clients over the age of 18 using the interiors of bars and restaurants at all levels.
The new levels for the islands are as follows:
LEVEL 4: Tenerife.
LEVEL 3: Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, La Palma.
LEVEL 2: Lanzarote, La Gomera.
LEVEL 1: El Hierro
New measures for Level 4 will not come into effect until Monday, here are the main points we know at the moment:
- Closing time for hospitality will be maintained at midnight.
- In relation to sports activity, at level 4 a 33% capacity will be allowed indoors, but all with the Covid certificate. The same happens with cultural activities, with a maximum capacity of 55%.
- Regarding the Covid certificate: hospitality activity will continue with an interior capacity of 50% but all people over 18 years of age who access will need the document.
Perez said, "These are not measures for Tenerife, but for level 4 in the event that any of the other of the Islands are moved to Level 4 also". The Government spokesperson pointed out that around 700,000 Covid certificates have been downloaded in the Canary Islands
The Minister of Health, Blas Trujillo, explained that epidemiological circumstances are following an upward trend due to the predominance of the delta variant throughout the world. “We have been increasing each and every one of the incidence indicators and we have lowered traceability. Above all, there is an important denominator which is that the hospital pressure is increasing. The Canary Islands are above 10.6% as a whole”. He pointed out that the variables are not constant and equal in all the islands. "Being vaccinated does not mean not infecting in absolute terms, we have cases where the zero case has been a vaccinated person," he commented. Hence, you should not lower your guard on a day-to-day basis and maintain sanitary measures.
The average age of people admitted to the ICU is 49-50 years old. “We continue to have pathologies such as asthma that make these people more vulnerable. Very young people who can suffer from these diseases are very vulnerable to the circulation of this strain, which is infinitely more transmissible," he added. This explains the exponential growth of the pandemic in recent weeks. "And it will continue," he said.
