THE CANARY Islands are hoping to scrap Covid restrictions by summer, in a boost to Brits with holiday plans.
Health experts have announced it’s likely they will ditch all restrictions, including wearing face masks, by June.
The Spanish islands, which include Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria, have been operating under a traffic light system since the pandemic began, depending on case numbers and hospital occupancy.
But now, the general director of Public Health José Juan Alemán has revealed the traffic light system will ‘disappear before long’.
As reported in local media, he told Spanish radio station COPE Radio: “Before long the traffic light of alert levels in the Canary Islands is going to disappear.
“The probability of a new variant of the coronavirus causing the same problems as before is very low, and it is perfectly feasible that there will be street parties and dancing, probably without masks, at the Santa Cruz carnival in June.”
He did warn that measures are unlikely to be lifted before the summer though, as Covid is still present on the islands.
He added: “The virus is still circulating at high levels and spreading, so it’s not time yet to drop our guard completely.”
Currently, Gran Canaria is the only island on the highest level of Covid alert – Level 4 – which has the strictest rules in place, including a limit on household mixing of eight people.
Tenerife, Fuerteventura, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro are all at Level 3 Covid alert, and Lanzarote and La Graciosa are at Level 2.
The news will come as a boost to Brits with summer holiday plans, as restrictions on the number of people who can sit together at restaurants and limits on bar and nightclub capacities will be removed.
Spanish hospitality venues have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, as thousands of Brits have been forced to cancel holidays due to strict Covid rules.
However, the country has been relaxing restrictions in recent weeks, making it easier for Brits to visit.
Spain recently changed its entry requirements to allow unvaccinated Brits who recently recovered from Covid to enter.
Previously, only vaccinated Brits could visit Spain, but the change means people with one or zero jabs can also enter.
Spain has also relaxed some other Covid travel rules, as the Balearic Islands have ended most of their restrictions due to an improvement in Covid cases.
