Call for steps to guarantee social distancing as residents of Spain’s holiday island Mallorca embrace exercise freedom

PALMA City Council is looking at steps to guarantee social distancing in the Mallorca capital as residents embrace the freedom to go out for an hour’s walk or exercise under the easing of the Spanish government’s lockdown restrictions.
This weekend has seen areas like Palma’s seafront promenade packed with people making the most of their allotted times for walking and for activities like cycling and running after seven weeks of being confined to their homes.
This has led to requests for the city authority introduce measures to avoid crowding, like closing off or adapting lanes at the weekend or dividing walkways like El Molinar or Ciudad Jardin into two different directions.
Palma mayor Jose Hila reported on Twitter after the first day of the exercise freedom that barring a few exceptions everyone has stuck to the rules. He also promised that the council will also be opening up more spaces this week having already opened up Palma’s parks and beaches.
Elsewhere in Mallorca it has been a similar story. Seafront proms and parks in particular have proved to be popular walking spots, especially early in the morning, and there were no reports of any serious violations of the regulations after the first day.