The Canary Islands Government has approved this Thursday to lower Lanzarote and La Graciosa to alert level 2, while the rest of the islands will continue in the one they were in. However, this will no longer influence the restrictions that will be in force, since the Executive has also decided to unlink the restrictions from the alert levels.
These levels are established based on parameters set at the state level, while the restrictions and control measures do depend on the communities. Now, the Canary Islands Government has approved a new system, establishing "two unique packages of measures", which have been softened again for the entire archipelago.
In the case of Lanzarote, the same restrictions will apply as in Fuerteventura, El Hierro, La Gomera and La Palma, which remain at level 3. For their part, in Gran Canaria and Tenerife, which remain at level 4, the other package of measures will be applied.
As defended by the Deputy Minister of the Presidency, Antonio Olivera, during the press conference after the Governing Council, this is "one more step in the de-escalation" that had already begun in the archipelago. Since last week, they approved that each island should be governed by the measures of the level immediately prior to its own. Now, they have decided to eliminate these four categories of restrictions, limiting them to two.
For Lanzarote, in practice, this will mean that the restrictions are softened, although to the same extent as they would have done if they had not lowered the level this Thursday, since it will have the same as the islands that are at level 3. As for Gran Canaria and Tenerife, they were already with level 3 measures despite continuing at 4, and now the new package will further reduce the restrictions.
The package of measures that will be applied in Lanzarote extends the closing time to 4 in the morning, while the maximum number of non-cohabiting people who can meet will be 12. For their part, in Gran Canaria and Tenerife the closing will be at 3 in the morning and the maximum number of people gathered increases to 8.
Regarding the capacity for most activities, in Lanzarote, La Graciosa, Fuerteventura, La Gomera, El Hierro and La Palma it will be 100% outdoors and 75% indoors, and in Gran Canaria and Tenerife 75 and 50%, respectively.
"We are moving to a scheme in which the restrictions are increasingly lower" and "progress will continue in the coming weeks", the Deputy Minister has advanced, who has stressed that although the majority of islands still have indicators at maximum risk, these have been improving and hospital pressure has also been reduced.
