Ibiza is preparing to open for tourism next summer. To do so, a COVID-19 rapid testing infrastructure must be in place to ensure that the nightlife haven does not become a hotspot for the virus. The governments of the Balearic Islands and Canary Islands in Spain announced that incoming tourists from countries with an infection rate of less than 50 cases per 100,000 inhabitants will not be tested upon arrival. Travelers arriving from countries with higher infection rates will be required to present a negative COVID-19 test performed within 48 hours of boarding their flight.
Before leaving the islands, tourists once again will need to provide a negative test taken within 48 hours of their departing flight, though this time the test will be offered free of charge. In the event that a test comes back positive, the governments of both island communities are preparing quarantine accommodations to house infected tourists. COVID-positive passengers will not be allowed to fly.
As tourism accounts for over 12 percent of Spain’s annual GDP, reopening global nightlife paradise Ibiza is crucial to the country’s economic recovery following coronavirus lockdowns.
Featured image: Mariusz Stanos, Shutterstock
