Groups of people in spaces for public and private use, indoors or outdoors, can be no more than a maximum of 12 people, cohabitants excepted, at Alert Levels 1 and 2; no more than eight people, except cohabitants, at Alert Level 3, and six people, except cohabitants, at Alert Level 4.

Night time opening hours are restricted until 04:00 at alert level 1 and 2; at 03:00 hours at alert level 3, and at 02:00 hours at alert level 4.

The TSJC Regional High Court, today, also rejected voluntary Covid passport measures which seems to mean an official end to the system of checking health status for access facilities and businesses, at least for now.

The Canary Islands Governing Council in its ordinary session held this Thursday, February 10, agreed to continue with the moderate and progressive de-escalation of restrictions in the face of a continued decrease in the accumulated incidence of this sixth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The approved measure, adopted after evaluating the epidemiological report of the General Directorate of Public Health of the Canary Health Service, contemplates relaxing the restrictions of each Health Alert Level, relaxing that the measures in force..

This measure will be applicable from 00:00 on February 11, 2022 until midnight on March 10, 2022, without prejudice to the possibility of extension depending on the epidemiological situation.

The Governing Council insists on the importance of continuing to maintain caution in the face of the Omicron variant and the healthcare pressure on the Archipelago’s health system that this sixth wave has caused, which will mean all the islands stay at their current Health Alert Level. The report from the General Directorate of Public Health still ranks healthcare capacity at either high or very high risk on all the islands, despite the reduction in the number of daily cases. Although the Accumulated Incidence (AI) since January 14 has shown a continuous decrease in the number of cases, with a reduction of 83.6 percent measured over 7 days; The transmissibility reached was so high that these indicators also continue to be at high risk.

However, this continued decrease, in the accumulated incidence, that has occurred in recent weeks allows the measures to be relaxed in accordance with the current epidemiological situation.

This measure is agreed in view of the favourable evolution of the epidemiological indicators, and in application of the provisions of article 22.4 of Decree Law 11/2021, of September 2, which establishes the legal regime of health alert and measures for the control and management of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Canary Islands, establishes that “The regional health authority may agree, in a reasoned manner, to apply a lower level of alert than that applicable in a given territorial area based on its specific epidemiological situation, provided that the general interests of health intervention against the COVID-19 pandemic and the preservation of the healthcare capacity of the health system are not put at risk.”

De-escalation and flexibility

The agreement reached today supposes, de facto, the suspension of the restrictive measures that were applied to the islands in Alert Level 4, entering into force the measures of the Alert Level 3, instead. In the same way, islands that are at Level 3, will adopt the measures of Level 2 and each island that passes in future reviews to Level 2, will benefit from the measures previously applied to Level 1. Level 1 precautions remain unchanged.

The relaxation of measures to a level lower than that established on each island affects all activities and establishments subject to limitations due to the pandemic. It is established at alert levels 1 and 2 that groups of people in spaces for public and private use, indoors or outdoors, cannot be more than a maximum of 12 people, except cohabitants; eight people, except cohabitants, at Alert Level 3, and six people, except cohabitants, at Alert Level 4.

As for closing times, the maximum authorised hours now shift closing times to 04:00 hours at Alert Level 1 and 2; at 03:00 hours at Alert Level 3, and at 02:00 hours at Alert Level 4.

With regard to hotel and restaurant establishments and activities, on Levels 1 and 2 the capacity will be 100% outdoors and 75% indoors, tables may be occupied by up to a maximum of 12 people and maximum closing times established at 04.00 hours; at Alert Level 3 the capacity will be 75% outdoors and 50% indoors, the tables can be occupied by a maximum of 8 people and closing will be before 03:00; and, finally, at Alert Level 4, capacity will be 75% on terraces and 40% indoors, tables can be occupied by no more than 6 people and closing time no later than 02:00.