Youth centre tailors in-person and virtual activities to Enhanced Tier 4 of Public Health Alert

As Formentera enters Enhanced Tier 4 of public health alert, the Formentera Youth Department reports that activities at the Casal de Joves have been adapted to facilitate compliance with new rules. Staff at the currently open and operational youth drop-in spot came up with targeted protocol in June when the Casal reopened, and since that time visitors have upheld measures in line with the mandates of public health authorities.

With the activation of Tier 4 protocol, the building’s indoor and outdoor capacity was limited to six. That figure remains unchanged as Formentera toggles to the reinforced form of Tier 4, with preference given to outdoor activities and virtual programming. Online activities began under the name «Casal Viral» as stay-at-home orders were first enacted last year.

“Keeping the Casal open is more important than ever”, said FYD chair Vanessa Parellada. She pointed up the current ban on gatherings between individuals from different households and said the Casal was hardly different from schools in that it is a “safe, controlled environment where youth can participate in leisure activities while respecting safety measures”.

Activities
Every Wednesday, sometimes in person at the Casal and sometimes online with Casal Viral, youth can catch a film or documentary on wide-ranging topics like feminism or humour in the age of Covid. Next weekend there will be face-to-face workshops on painting and pottery. Masks, social distancing, hand-washing and common sense are all required.

What better occasion than Valentine’s Day to reflect on the importance of teenage love, friendships and affective-sexual relationships (not to mention, adds Parellada, to deconstruct the myth of romantic love)? The Casal’s Valentine’s Day programming takes place 13 February.

Other online activities this February include a contest where participants are encouraged to submit their finest sports-related snapshots, together with an afternoon of monologues. The Casal de Joves opens from 4.00pm to 9.00pm, Tuesday to Saturday. The closing time was brought forward at the start of Tier 4 orders to facilitate compliance with the curfew from 10.00pm to 6.00pm.

1 February 2021
Communications Department
Consell de Formentera