The Canary Islands Government Council (regional cabinet) agreed this Thursday to revoke the mandatory requirement to present a Covid certificate at leisure and restaurant establishments, as well as some other activities, and to request that the regional high court, The Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands (TSJC), extend its voluntary use, in such a way that establishments choosing to use the system will gain greater capacity limits and opening hours, according to the Alert Level directly below the one assigned to each particular island. The plan to scrap mandatory certificates was announced at this evening’s press conference by the Executive’s spokesman, Julio Pérez.
The Canarian Government this Thursday reviewed the Covid Alert Levels for each of the islands and the evolution of the pandemic over the last week coming to conclude that despite the decrease in coronavirus infections, transmission still remains at very high risk levels on all the islands.
Hospital pressure in the capitals has hardly improved.
Gran Canaria and Tenerife remain at Level 4 Health Alert. La Palma drops to Level 3 from Thursday night.
“The situation facilitates our being able to soften some of the measures, but not to disarm ourselves. There are areas in which it is possible,” explained spokesman Julio Pérez in the press room. “We are removing the obligation to present the covid passport,” he clarified.
“We will abolish the compulsory nature of the passport and we maintain, and we ask the courts, to allow it to be extended so that those who demand this from their clients can do so,” Pérez continued.
In return, those establishments that request the Covid-19 certificate will once again be rewarded with capacity and operating rules corresponding to the Health Alert Level immediately below that of their island.
At Level 4 the general closing time for hospitality will continue to be 00:00 midnight, while at Level 3 it will go to 02:00. And on Level 2 it will be possible to close at 03.00, while those at Level 1 can extend closing time to 04:00.
Pérez also recalled that the change in level is a decision adopted by the General Directorate of Public Health, and added that the data is better than last week in the indicators that measure the incidence both at 7 and 14 days, and therefore, the restrictions are being relaxed.
