The President of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, sent a letter this Friday, July 16, to the Government Delegate in the Canary Islands, the President of the Canarian Federation of Municipalities, the President of the Canarian Federation of Islands, the presidents of the seven island councils and the mayors of the 88 Canarian municipalities, in which he thanks them for the commitment and drive of all the Administrations and where he explains "the need to maintain and intensify vigilance" as one of the fundamental measures to stop contagions.
In view of the decisions taken by the Government of the Canary Islands regarding limited capacity, the closure of beaches, parks and other public spaces and, as other measures are being established, such as associating mobility with the COVID certificate - a fundamental health criterion for access to certain places - the head of the Regional Executive asks public officials "for an effort this weekend and in the coming days" to ensure that those who infringe the rules or fail to comply with the mandatory restrictions are monitored and that the relevant demands or complaints are filed. Torres calls for special vigilance in the places where those who are being most infected at the moment are gathering, which is fundamentally the young population.
The President appeals to the responsibility of everyone, "and, recognizing the situation of each Administration with respect to its staff these days, it is necessary to implement to the maximum the capacity we have to achieve the greatest vigilance, in order to avoid crowds, drinking in the street, people who join without respecting the distance and without masks, illegal parties, etcetera", he points out.
In the letter, Torres also explains the agreements adopted in the Governing Council held this Thursday regarding the levels in each of the islands, depending on the latest indicators, and refers to the decision to appeal to the Supreme Court against the order with which the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands denied the request of the Autonomous Government to limit night mobility between 00:35 and 06:00 hours in the islands that are at levels 3 or 4. A measure that the Prosecutor's Office in the Canary Islands had previously endorsed with a "forceful report", Torres specifies. The President of the Canary Islands adds that the pronouncement of the TSJC "means that we do not have, at this time, the tools that during these sixteen months have demonstrated, together with others, their usefulness to bend the curve and stop the accumulated incidence".
The head of the Canarian Executive also alludes, in the letter, to the decision of the Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia that has endorsed this Friday the curfew in that community, as has also done - also this Friday - the Superior Court of Justice of Cantabria, or the Superior Court of Justice of the Valencian Community on July 12. Taking into account these favorable pronouncements of the Justice and, being the Canary Islands the only place where, as of today, the curfew has not been endorsed, the president explains that there are sufficient reasons that corroborate the decision of the Government of the Canary Islands to go to the Supreme Court.
In the letter, Torres sends a message of commitment to all public officials "trusting that, as has happened since the beginning of the pandemic, and during the five Security Boards held during this crisis, we will continue working in coordination in the unity of action, because that is a key aspect to achieve the best results", the president emphasizes. In addition, he points out that once 50% of the target population has been immunized in the Canary Islands, "we continue to move towards the goal of reaching herd immunity as soon as possible, in a few weeks, that is, 70% of those immunized in the Canary Islands".
For Torres, maximum vaccination, stopping contagions and keeping the economy as active as possible is fundamental. This is what will lead, according to the President of the Canary Islands, "to the arrival of tourists in these summer months and later in the winter season, which is crucial for the Canary Islands".
