Alejandra Ferrer’s letter on new Covid measures

Amid an increasingly alarming epidemiological situation on the island, earlier today Consell de Formentera president Alejandra Ferrer sent a letter to Balearic first minister Francina Armengol to push for new measures to slow the exponential spread of local infections.

Ferrer pointed to a worsening state of affairs in arguing for screenings of broad swaths of Formentera to help pinpoint and isolate the virus effectively. The president reiterated previous calls for efficient and fast-acting contact tracers to reduce the mobility of infected individuals’ close contacts.

“The coherent thing to do”, continued Ferrer, “is to compliment the battery of measures taken so far with new restrictions and more expansive tools so we can detect asymptomatic cases, isolate them and trace their close contacts”.

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21 January 2021
Communications Department
Consell de Formentera

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SRA. FRANCINA ARMENGOL
PRESIDENTA DEL GOVERN DE LES ILLES BALEARS
CARRER DE LA LLOTJA, 3
07012 PALMA (ILLES BALEARS)

Madame First Minister,

Our island’s epidemiological situation is increasingly dire. Active Covid cases today total one hundred, 17 of which are new infections, while just seven days ago it was half that number. Such being the case, we are obliged to request new measures to curb this exponential rise in infections.

Since early December we have asked for controls on inter-island travel and measures to reduce individuals’ movement in the run-up to the holidays and curtail contact between people from different households and stable bubbles. Last week we requested Formentera be sealed off but the virus has found a foothold on the island and is now spreading between residents.

We believe is it crucial that no effort be spared as we attempt to effectively curtail mobility and social gatherings to stem the spread of the epidemic.

Formentera’s epidemiological data is troubling and an increasing number of our hospital beds are occupied.

We mustn’t forget that Formentera and Eivissa share a Department of Health, and both island’s epidemiological situations contribute to increasing pressure on healthcare services, both here and on Eivissa.

For the above reasons and in view of the worsening state of affairs, we feel that screenings of broad swaths of Formentera are key to pinpointing and isolating the virus effectively. I wish to reiterate my previous calls for efficient and fast-acting contact tracers to reduce the mobility of infected individuals’ close contacts.

When we first made these requests in December, we were told that such a screening wasn’t commensurate to Formentera’s numbers. Based on the current situation and in light of the speed of infections in recent weeks, the coherent thing to do is to compliment the battery of measures taken so far with new restrictions and more expansive tools so we can detect asymptomatic cases, isolate them and trace their close contacts.

We ask for measures adapted to our situation, and for solidarity between the islands.

As always, we will collaborate on everything in our power to ensure compliance with related measures and controls.

Cordially,

Alejandra Ferrer Kirschbaum
President, Consell de Formentera