The Ministry of Transport and Mobility has designated eight ports throughout the Spanish territory as the only points of entry to Spain by boat, to minimize the risks of importing cases in the de-escalation process, a measure that has been in force since this Saturday, the 16th, and until May 24th, a period that can be extended.
The parliamentarian for the islands of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, and island president of the PP, Astrid Pérez, has demanded that the Government of the Canary Islands and the Government of the Nation include the port of Arrecife, in the capital of Lanzarote, among these authorized port facilities.
The Canarian deputy, and also mayor of Arrecife, recalls that according to the ministerial order published this Friday in the Official State Gazette (BOE), the ports designated as the only points of entry are those of Barcelona, Bilbao, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, Tenerife, Valencia and Vigo. Curiously, Arrecife, which is the closest Canarian port to the continents of Africa and continental Europe, is not among the authorized venues.
The order published this Friday applies to passenger flights originating from any airport located outside Spanish territory and to passenger ships providing regular line service. It will also apply to roll-on/roll-off transshipment vessels and passenger ships providing regular line service originating from any port located outside Spanish territory.
Astrid Pérez recalls that today the Ministry has announced that the Lanzarote airport will become part of the network of aerodromes allowed for the arrival of flights and yet, for incomprehensible reasons, leaves out the port of Arrecife, where many of the rabbit companies have their economic activity linked to port activity.
The list of entry points may be modified if it is jointly agreed with an autonomous community to modify, expand or restrict any of the measures provided for in the order in order to better adapt them to the evolution of the health emergency in each autonomous community, and always in accordance with the proposal finally made by the Minister of Health, recalled the parliamentarian and mayor Astrid Pérez. Lanzarote is one of the places in the Canary Islands where Covid has had the least impact among its resident population.
Astrid Pérez urges the Government of the Canary Islands to demand that the Government of the Nation include the capital of Lanzarote among the authorized port areas during the de-escalation, even more so when the interest of the President of the Spanish Government to request an extension of the state of alert for one more month has become known.
Undertaking the economic recovery, where ports and airports in the islands are vital, should be a priority objective for regional and state administrations, recalled Astrid Pérez.
