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Latest Gran Canaria News, Views & Sunshine

The Canary Guide #WeekendTips 31 March – 2 April 2023

 

 A glorious first weekend of April ahead and the beginning of the christian Holy Week “Semana Santa”, diligently observed in Spain. There will be many religious acts and processions throughout the week around the island, especially in the capital.  Don’t forget it’s also April fools’ on Saturday even though it isn’t a tradition in Spain, there will be those who will take the whimsical opportunity for some hilarity. The Mercado Inglés is on at The British Club of Las Palmas and there is also an authentic Canarian rural fair to visit this weekend in the traditional mountain market town of San Mateo.

Gran Canaria Weather: Yellow Warnings – Up to 36ºC, in the shade, expected on the south, high temperatures with strong winds and calima expected to affect all The Canary Islands this week

The Spanish State Meterological Agency, AEMET, has issued yellow warnings for heat, calima haze and strong winds this week on the Canary Islands forecasting high temperatures of up to 34ºC expected on several islands. An alert has been issued due to a risk of forest fires on Gran Canaria as the mix of dry weather, strong winds and high temperatures has led to concerns over coming days.

Wild fires Alert on Gran Canaria this Wednesday, with temperatures set to exceed 34ºC in the shade

Springtime has only just begun and already the temperatures, in the shade, on Gran Canaria have been repeatedly hitting the low to mid-thirties, which brings with it also a rising risk of Forest Fires and Wildfires.  Here in the Canary Islands forest fire crews are well versed in tackling an occasional mountain blaze, with alert levels often following the basic informal rule of thumb, the so-called 30/30/30 rule, putting the authorities on alert whenever the temperature is set to rise above 30ºC in the shade, the humidity levels drop below 30% and sustained winds are forecast at faster than 30kmph.  Common sense and preparation help the general population to avoid injury in the event of a fire taking hold.

#WeCrossMountains

The Canary Guide #WeekendTips 24-26 March 2023

 
Plum tree blossoming in Tenteniguada March 2023
It’s the last weekend of March already and Spring is here; winter is behind us and the summer weather is already hotting up on Gran Canaria. The hillsides are in full bloom, particularly up in the mountain summits; it’s Carnival Weekend in Arguineguín and the last of the carnival festivities for this year are happening around the island. With summer just around the corner, clocks Spring forward this Saturday and Sunday night when 1am becomes 2am 🕐. On the north of the island, one of the biggest seasonal trade fairs is happening, gathering produce and people from 11 municipalities, ENORTE will be celebrated in the historic Rum capital of the island, Arucas, this weekend.

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Movie and television production on the Canary Islands has more than doubled

The shooting of movies and television series in the Canary Islands have doubled over the course of 2022 and now far exceeds the figures recorded for 2021, which were the highest to date. More national and international productions, more investment and more direct hiring of technical and artistic professionals are the three most notable milestones reached over this period. All is touted as a direct result of a successful strategy that has managed to increase the already favourable tax advantages for productions coming to the archipelago, as well as the necessary inter-institutional collaborations that facilitate the development of this industry.
• The best data in history in a sector that last year generated 15,300 contracts for technical and artistic professionals from the islands, double the number in 2021»
• In 2022 there were 164 national and international productions across all the islands

The British Embassy in Madrid have forwarded an update for UK Nationals as a reminder of the requirements for living as an immigrant in Spain 

An update for UK Nationals from The British Embassy in Madrid
From 1 January, UK Nationals have been able to spend 90 days out of every 180 within the Schengen area for tourism or other specific purposes, such as business meetings, without needing a visa. Any stays beyond the 90 days will be dependent on Spain’s visa and immigration rules and any UK Nationals who would like to discuss extending their stay should contact their local extranjería office or call 060.

#WeCrossMountains

All foreign nationals intending to stay in Spain for longer than three months have always been obliged to register for residency – whatever their nationality. Therefore if you arrived in Spain before 1 January you must take steps to become resident if you consider your home to be here. Otherwise, you should be arranging to return to the UK. If you are trying to become resident and are in the process of registering or appealing against your application having been rejected, the 90-day rule does not apply to you.

Living and working in Spain – Your Essential Guide for UK nationals living in Spain before 1 January 2021.
Brits in Spain:
Living and working in Spain – Your Essential Guide for UK nationals living in Spain before 1 January 2021.
The British Embassy in Madrid have produced a series of short guides to advise UK nationals who were legally living in Spain before 1 January 2021, what their rights in Spain are.
Here is their key information for living and working in Spain. On Friday there will be a guide for issues related to Travel and Pet Passports.
The links at the end of this video are:
1. Living in Spain guide: www.gov.uk/livinginpain
2. The document to show the validity of the green certificate: https://www.inclusion.gob.es/ficheros/brexit/nota_aclaratoria_green_certificate.pdf
Posted by TheCanary.TV on Thursday, April 1, 2021

HMA Hugh Elliott said:
“I’m aware that many second home owners are concerned about overstaying as we reach 31 March. The Spanish Government has been clear that it will take a pragmatic approach to anyone who is stuck in Spain due to circumstances beyond their control, so I don’t want people to be overly worried on that count. However, if people do not intend to become resident here in Spain and see the UK as their base, we do expect them to take steps to return to the UK as soon as they can.”
A Spanish Ministry of Inclusion spokesperson said “The Spanish Government is working to provide maximum legal certainty for British citizens resident in Spain. Throughout the negotiations, the issue of citizens’ rights has been, and remains, one of the main priorities. Spain is the country of residence of the largest community of UK nationals in the EU.
“The Spanish Government has no plans to deport British citizens who have made Spain their home and, for this reason, Spain has been one of the first EU countries to establish a documentation procedure under the Withdrawal Agreement, which consists of a declaratory system to apply for the new residence permit (TIE). We remind British citizens that, although there is no time limit, it is important to make this application as soon as possible as, among other things, it will facilitate the administrative processing and the crossing of the external borders of the European Union.”
If you are in the UK and considering travelling to Spain or are in Spain and have friends or family wanting to visit, you should be aware of the continuing travel restrictions on both leaving the UK and entering Spain. UK Nationals must make sure that they meet both the requirements to leave the UK and those to enter Spain, bearing in mind that they are not the same. From 30 March, entry to Spain will only be granted to those passengers who can demonstrate that their journey is essential, as well as to those who are already legally resident in Spain. Entering merely to visit, even if you have a second home here, is not a justified reason for entry. You may be questioned on arrival by Spanish border authorities to ensure you meet the entry requirements and they will only grant entry if they are satisfied that your journey to Spain is essential and reserve the right to deny passage. Ultimately, the decision on whether to grant entry into Spain is made by Spanish border officials as set out in our Travel Advice. For the latest information and links to the restrictions on leaving the UK and entering Spain, the British Embassy in Madrid advise people to visit the Travel Advice page on gov.uk and sign up for alerts, so that they are notified of any changes: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/spain

*Reminder: Our next Q&A will be next Thursday 8 April at 18:00 CET*
It will be streamed live from this page, and will…
Posted by Brits in Spain on Thursday, April 1, 2021

Here are some extra notes to remember:

Since 1 January 2021, British tourists have been able to travel visa-free for tourism or other specific purposes across the Schengen Area (except for Covid-19 restrictions) for up to 90 days in a rolling 180-day period. Anyone wishing to extend their stay, or become a worker or permanent resident will need to apply to the local authorities under Spain’s domestic immigration rules.
If you are unable to return to the UK before the expiry of your visa/permit or visa-free limit due to C-19 restrictions, you should contact your local immigration office (Extranjería) for advice.  You can also call 060 from a Spanish phone line.
Due to Covid-19, restrictions on entry from the UK into Spain have been in place since January 2021. Only Spanish nationals, UK nationals resident in Spain and other limited categories of entry are permitted. Please see FCDO Travel Advice for Spain for further details: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/spain
UK nationals and their family members who were lawfully resident in Spain before the end of the transition period, on 31 December 2020, can continue to live, work, study and access benefits and services, such as healthcare, broadly as they did before the UK left the EU.
Their rights are protected by the Withdrawal Agreement, whether or not they have registered for residency. Anyone who has not yet done so, should register for residency and apply for a TIE card which can be used to evidence their rights under the Withdrawal Agreement. Previous versions of this document (also known as the ‘green residency document’) remain valid. More than 360,000 UK nationals in Spain have already registered.
The procedure for applying the resident document,  which has been in place since 6 July 2020, distinguishes between those who already had a registration certificate or family member card of an EU citizen, and those who did not.
Those arriving after the transitional period, i.e. from 1 January 2021, will fall under the general immigration regulations. For more information visit:http://extranjeros.inclusion.gob.es/es/InformacionInteres/InformacionProcedimientos/index.html
The UK Government provides detailed advice for UK nationals in our Living in Spain Guide online at: www.gov.uk/livinginspain; and the Spanish Government has also produced a detailed Q+A document on residency in English: https://www.inclusion.gob.es/ficheros/brexit/guia_brexit_2020_en.pdf

Some more useful information:

Living in Spain: Healthcare
Brits in Spain:
Healthcare: Your Essential Guide – UK nationals living in Spain before 1 January 2021.
The British Embassy in Madrid have produced a series of short videos to advise UK nationals who were legally living in Spain before 1 January 2021, what their rights in Spain are.
This one takes a look at Healthcare. There is also a video on Living and Working in Spain and on Friday they will share their guide to Travel and Pet Passports for UK nationals living in Spain before 1 January 2021.
The link at the end of this video is: www.gov.uk/healthcareinspain
Posted by TheCanary.TV on Thursday, April 1, 2021

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The Canary News

CEISA group’s iconic Gran Canaria cement factory at El Pajar request renewal of private port concession from Puertos Canarios

Cementos Especiales de las Islas SA (CEISA) has requested new authorisation from Puertos Canarios to renew their private port concession to continue using the Santa Águeda Pier, the only privately-owned industrial port on the islands, after the current concession ends. The request was made and processed this Tuesday morning, as the port’s concession term, granted in 1972, expires in October of next year, reports the company in a statement.

“The port infrastructure, located at the foot of the cement factory facilities, is essential for the production of this construction material, since it allows reception of part of the raw materials from the Peninsula and the transfer of the finished product to the port of Las Palmas and the rest of the islands of the Archipelago, “explained CEISA, specifying that “these operations involve the movement of half a million tons of materials annually and, thanks to this installation, the circulation of one hundred trucks per day is avoided via the South GC-1 highway along with the emission of 3,000 tons of CO2.”
The CEISA group, based in the province of Las Palmas, has 15 production, storage and sales points on Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and La Palma, has a turnover of €60 million and creates 150 direct jobs, of which 30% are of a technical profile. The indirect employment generated amounts to a further 450 people. The El Pajar factory has a production capacity of 1.5 million tons of cement and its materials are sold exclusively in the Canary Islands. Last year, despite the pandemic, the plant maintained its normal activity with the entire workforce, except for one fortnight was limited to essential jobs only.

“We have been in El Pajar for more than 60 years, generating wealth and employment, and our objective is to continue developing our activity with the three fundamental pillars, our factory, located on company land; quality and exclusivity to the Canary Islands, and the port, which allows us to be absolutely efficient by reducing transfers to a minimum”, said Claudio Piernavieja , General Coordinator of the CEISA group.
Cementos Especiales de las Islas began their journey in 1957, gaining their private port concession to build a large industrial loading pier in 1972 and have already spent more than six decades dedicated to the manufacture and sale of cement, mortar and construction materials for Gran Canaria and the rest of the islands. From their factory in El Pajar, in San Bartolomé de Tirajana, four types of cement and one type of mortar are produced adapted to constructions on the Islands, thanks to the Canarian pozzolana, the special volcanic silicate that is added to special underwater cements and hardwearing cements like Portland, considered one of the best such additives in the world for the manufacture of cement.

Editor’s Musings:
There are some who wish to develop the Bahía Santa Agueda as a tourist resort, with various interested parties having expressed a desire to take full advantage of what is thought to be the most tranquil and sunny spot on the whole island.  There is a lovely little beach at El Pajar, overlooked by what some believe could have been the very first christian chapel ever built on the island, in a cave in the cliffside above the beach.  Though there is no reason to think that CEISA will not be able to renew their concession, it will be of interest to some who may be looking for opportunities to exploit the privileged position, currently occupied by the cement factory, for more touristic aims.  Only time will tell whether this will be simply an administrative process of renewal, or if any objections are to be raised about the manner in which this now prime piece of real estate is being exploited. With the Be Cordial Hotel Santa Agueda having just finished construction there is already some reason to suspect that further tourism interests might make themselves known.

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Canary Islands Government trying to stop evictions from “skyrocketing” after State of Emergency ends

The Canary Islands Government Minister of Public Works, Transport and Housing, Sebastián Franquis, has said this Tuesday that his Executive is working on legal measures to help prevent “skyrocketing” evictions from “spiking” on the islands once the state of alarm is again officially de-escalated this coming May 9.

In response to a question from Sí Podemos in the parliamentary committee, he commented that there is “concern” within the regional Government due to the demand for housing having been “radicalised” during the pandemic, and so the scope of the autonomous community is being reviewed to try to find solutions.
Franquis detailed that the Government has already enabled €20 million in rental aid and has exempted €2.7 million from having to be paid in public housing, with the objective to deliver all pending aid before May 9 and help to prevent skyrocketing evictions.
To do this, last week the Regional Governing Council approved the hiring of 32 extra people to work on the implementation of the Housing Plan and streamline aid, and it is expected that over the next 10 days another 588 applications will be granted to add to the 1,420 that have already been delivered.
The spokesman for Sí Podemos, Manuel Marrero, commented when the state of alarm ends “a new difficult to contain front may be opened” producing an “avalanche” of evictions because the economic situation “is getting worse” and many ERTE recipients may end up being converted to ERE.
“The situation could be serious,” he commented, because the payment of rent for many homes is at risk, which is why he has asked for the aid to be expedited as much as possible.
“It is a priority that social rent arrives as soon as possible and evictions are not allowed without a housing alternative,” he pointed out, defending the way opened by the Balearic Government who have decided to expropriate empty apartments to put them on the market or the Paris City Council, which has multiplied the tax on vacant properties by a factor of three.

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The Canary News

On March 10 the deadline period for requesting direct aid for Canary Islands small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) and self-employed (Autonomos) started and will be open until April

The first day of the Canary Islands deadline period for requesting direct aid for small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) and self-employed (Autonomos) saw 1,147 claims processed through the four chambers of commerce throughout the autonomous community “and endless calls” aimed primarily at resolving questions and doubts. The extraordinary financial aid measure, launched by the Canary Islands Government, has an budget of €84 million, aimed at alleviating damages within the sectors most affected by the covid-19 pandemic response and, according to the regional president, Ángel Víctor Torres, and the Minister of Employment, Elena Máñez, will take effect in “a few days” time.

Of the more than 1,000 files presented on March 10, 369 were from self-employed people without salaried employees, for a line of aid endowed with a budget of €18 million. 778 applications were from small and medium-sized companies and freelancers with employees, for whom €66 million has been set aside, according to data provided by the Chamber of Commerce of Gran Canaria.
The bulk of the “endless calls” received on Wednesday at the chambers of commerce were aimed at resolving doubts, especially regarding the justification for losses being claimed against. To access the funds, companies are required to have suffered a drop in income of at least 30% and need to demonstrate cessation of activity. In addition, as indicated by the Lanzarote Chamber, many businessmen wanted to know the possibility of making these aids compatible with subsidies offered by other administrations. A total of 220 calls were answered on Wednesday and the numbers are expected to increase over the coming days.  The application deadline lasts for 20 days from march 10 to April 8 2021.
The Fuerteventura Chamber reported the same large number of enquiries last week. Its president, Antonio Rodríguez Marichal, indicated that 45 applications were processed on the first day in a day when “the phones did not stop ringing.” He described the Government initiative to have the chambers to manage these subsidies as “real success” due to their permeability in the business fabric of the islands and hoped that they can also be collaborating entities to help channel the 11,000 million of aid announced by the State
A special phone line number has been enabled to answer all these calls regarding direct aid, 900 909 519, which is attended by almost 120 people from the four chambers of commerce, who received an intensive training course. Almost half of the staff (57) are in the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Chamber, which serves the four islands of that province, while another 39 staff are on Gran Canaria, 10 on Fuerteventura, and 12 on Lanzarote.
Despite the significant increase in the volume of calls registered, according to the Ministry of Employment “there were no serious problems” during the first day on Wednesday March 10 although they did acknowledge that there were “intermittent cuts” on the Government websites where applications are entered. However, according to some users who tried to do their processing directly, the pages were without service “for hours.”
The deadline for submitting direct aid applications will be open until April 8 and files that are correctly completed will be attended to in order of arrival. Subsidies can be obtained by companies that prove a loss of income of at least 30% in the last semester of 2020 compared to the previous year and the amount of the same – which ranges between 1,000 euros and 25,000 euros – will take into account number of employees of the applicant company. The €84 million that the Government of the Canary Islands has advanced to alleviate the damages incurred by SMEs and the self-employed will be charged to the European Union’s “React program”. Another €80 million will be added to this item to pay the IBI property taxes of tourist establishments.

? Importante ‼️
Las solicitudes de ayudas se pueden presentar a partir del 10 de marzo y exclusivamente por estas dos vías:
✅ Autónomos sin personas asalariadas:https://t.co/jJCmoR5K4K
✅ Pymes y autónomos con personas asalariadas:https://t.co/P8HSKn4U8R pic.twitter.com/VGXhXEC3IG
— Economía Gobcan (@EcoGobCan) March 9, 2021

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The Canary News

Ryanair ordered to reinstate and fully compensate workers unfairly dismissed from Canary Islands base

The National Court (Audiencia Nacional – AN) has issued an order declaring the dismissals of 174 workers from Ryanair bases in the Canary Islands and Balearic Islands as inadmissible, due to an employment regulation file (ERE) that has already been declared illegal, forcing the Irish low cost airline to compensate these workers.

The compensation, according to the USO union, more than doubles Ryanair’s attempted proposal of liability.  It obliges Ryanair to additionally compensate workers with 15 additional days per year of service provision.
To these compensations are added the salaries not received by these workers since January 9, 2020 together with the payment of the Social Security quotas for the cabin crew and pilots not paid from January 2020 up until March 9, 2021.
The National Court has justified the ruling in the existence of “employer bad faith”; for fraudulent actions carried out by Ryanair after a ruling that declared the ERE null and void. They tried to include workers in a procedure for the suspension of contracts due to force majeure, who were the object of the dismissal declared null and void which was simply seen as “non-compliance with the ruling” simply by trying to use a “different justification” other than their own business interests, in a ruling that clearly states that “rejecting the reinstatements has caused damage to the workers who must receive the maximum compensation for the unjustified loss of their jobs”

The European Cockpit Association (ECA) spoke out against Ryanair’s employee relations tactics as far back as 2019, saying “Ryanair has a history of this behaviour, with the result of alienating its employees.”

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Spain urges European Commission toward European vaccination certificate to guarantee safe travel

Spain has urged the European Commission (EC) to accelerate the introduction of a European vaccination certificate, as a “useful and effective” tool to resume mobility in a safe way and guarantee safe travel.
At the meeting of European Union Ministers of Tourism, the Spanish Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, urged the EC to develop an ambitious program for the recovery of EU community tourism under the new budgetary framework that allows Europe to continue being a tourism industry reference throughout the world.

The minister proposed the development of digital instruments for interoperable health information among States be accelerated, including the European vaccination certificate to facilitate mobility interrupted by the pandemic. In addition, she said that it is necessary to advance the adoption of common protocols in all Member States to avoid prohibitions on the movement of travellers within the internal market, as well as with third countries, especially in the case of the United Kingdom, since coordination in this matter will be essential to guarantee the gradual recovery of tourism.
Maroto insisted that it is important to have the tools ready to restart mobility, and to return Europe to being a safe travel destination when the data on the incidence of the virus allow it. Likewise, she advocated for expanding the Regulation of Extension by Categories of aid compatible with the internal market to reinforce the framework of state aid and favour aid schemes focused on the solvency of tourism companies, who will take longer than other economic sectors to recover their activity.

COVID-19 vaccination passports have been talked about for some time, particularly in The Canary Islands where we received the first pilot flight for “Health Passports” last summer and introduced Certification protocols for tourism accommodations, and more recently have been exploring the ways in which European vaccination passports might be implemented.  While our primary season is still 9 months away, the summer may well provide us with an opportunity to really put all that learning to work to help ensure the very best of hospitality and safety for our returning visitors.

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Canaries face prospect of empty beaches for Springtime as UK confirms non-essential international travel ban

As the new Covid-19 strain spreads in United Kingdom, Prime Minister Boris Johnson this Monday announced his roadmap out of the pandemic restrictions including a total ban on non-essential international travel both from and to the country until at least May 17 2021.  Though this may have put a hole in any hopes for a quick return to tourism for The Canary Islands, leaving empty beaches for springtime, it does at least offer a sense of certainty for when we might expect British holiday makers to start to return.  Nevertheless, on these small sub-tropical islands off the coast of Africa, survival often is success and an eye is often cast out across our many horizons for opportunities to turn our environment to our advantage.

Empty beaches for springtime
Brits hoping for any sort of get away to enjoy our empty beaches for springtime, or around easter, had been hopeful of positive data allowing them out of lockdowns and travel restrictions within the next few weeks, however Downing Street made clear that the UK was not willing to take any more risks when it comes to unnecessary journeys in and out of the country. The global travel and aviation sectors have been among the hardest-hit during the pandemic, and in few countries more so than the United Kingdom. The new outright ban comes following fears over data that suggests new Covid-19 strains have been spreading across the country.

Editor’s comment:The Canary Islands received upwards of 5 million British annual visitors over recent years, with more than a million and a half of those choosing Gran Canaria, but now there is certainty of empty beaches for springtime.  The tourism and hospitality sector in the archipelago represents more than 35% of GDP employs more than 40% of the workforce, which in turn feeds nearly 60% of the island population. The decline income and capital losses experienced over the last year of the pandemic in the region have already been shown to be dropping at twice the national average, with the regional economy having shrunk by more than 20% in the last 3 quarters.
Local businesses have struggled with meagre support from the Regional and National Governments, with many self-employed feeling completely abandoned, with contributions still being taken despite a total lack of earnings in most cases, and employees totally reliant on the ERTE (Spanish furlough scheme) to try to make ends meet.  As businesses go under so more and more of the workforce are turning to look for government assistance, and that is foreseeably going to become more and more difficult to administrate under Spain’s already beleaguered Social Security system, creaking under the weight of an aging population and a total lack of reforms for more than a decade. Rental assistance for many has been near impossible to access, meaning ever increasing numbers of people could be facing a housing time-bomb as landlords, also desperate for income, chase growing debts from a population unable to earn a wage.
Spain’s progressive coalition Government, under Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, had barely managed to establish their socialist agenda before this pandemic redrew the rules of engagement, derailing extraordinary plans to ensure Minimum Vital Income for every citizen, who fell below a certain threshold of earnings, in an environment now which is likely to lead to hugh swaithes of the tourism workforce being completely without income for months, and with the reignition of Spain’s tourism industry wholly dependent on origin markets such as the UK, Germany and to a lesser extend other Northern European economies.
For The Canary Islands this latest blow will be painful, however it does at least give us something to aim towards beyond empty beaches for springtime.  In mainland Spain a campaign to Save Our Summer began just two weeks ago, urging the UK Prime Minister to set forward a road map which would allow for summer bookings to start once again.  Here in The Canaries we are blessed with year-round sunshine and a vibrant winter tourism season too, so many business owners now will be weighing up the costs involved in chasing uncertain Summer revenues, as opposed to keeping their powder dry to aim towards a safer and less competitive Winter Holiday Season.
Back in London, PM Boris Johnson said on Monday that domestic overnight stays and self-contained accommodation will be allowed to operate again no earlier than 12 April but non-essential international travel will remain out of the question.
Highlighting his new, long awaited, road map out of lockdown, Johnson said, “This is part of the roadmap’s second step and it will take place at least five weeks after the first step” referring to the 8 March date set for a return to schools, part of his conservative government’s four-step plan, but pointed out that these steps could be postponed if the prime minister or his advisers deem it necessary.
He said the earliest date that international holidays could be allowed would not be before 17 May.
The UK government’s Global Travel Taskforce is set to reconvene by 12 April, and issue a report recommending how they think international trips might resume safely, he said.
Boris Johnson told journalists that this will “give people time to make their plans for the summer”
Airport Operators Association chief executive Karen Dee responded to the news by saying “As the worst-hit economic sector in 2020, this will ensure we will also be the worst-hit sector of 2021”
“The UK and devolved governments must set out sector-specific support to help ensure there are viable airports to be able to restart,” Dee added, saying that the Prime Minister’s recognition of aviation’s important economic role, in particular for businesses that rely on access to international markets or visitors to the UK, was welcome.
British Airways chief executive Sean Doyle said it is “critical we start looking at a way to restart travel”, and added that he is “pleased the government has acknowledged that”
“We support a data-led approach that protects public health. We want to work with the government’s task force on a road map now to ensure that aviation is in a strong position to support the UK as we emerge from the pandemic.” concluded Doyle

Interval between stages
For the UK there will be an interval of at least five weeks between each of the stages of the plan (except the first, which is divided into two steps) to allow the impact of the changes in infection rates and hospital admissions to be assessed. The key dates are as follows:
– Starting March 8: All schools will open and extracurricular activities and sports will be allowed in the open air . Likewise, recreation will be allowed in public outdoor spaces and there will be a green light for up to two people to sit down for a coffee, a drink or a picnic.
– As of March 29:  up to six people or two different households can meet outdoors. Outdoor sports facilities, such as tennis or basketball courts, will reopen and organised sports for adults and children, such as grassroots football, will also return. High school students will be able to access tests and will be required to wear a face mask in classrooms and in shared spaces such as hallways.
– As of April 12: the reopening of many sectors of the economy is planned. Non-essential retail businesses, hair salons, and some public buildings such as libraries will be back in business. Leisure activities will be allowed once again in indoor facilities such as swimming pools or gyms. One of the great novelties is that Brits will be able to travel independently to establishments with kitchens or camping sites. For trips abroad, we will have to wait until this date for the plan developed by Johnson’s Travel Taskforce.
– Starting May 17: Goodbye to the ‘rule of six’ for outdoor gatherings which will, it is expected, be significantly increased up to 30 people. Residents of two different households will be able to mix inside and cinemas, museums, hotels, theatres and sporting events will all reopen. Football stadiums will be allowed to accommodate up to 10,000 spectators, while weddings, receptions, funerals and wakes will be limited to 30 people.
– As of June 21: if the situation allows it, limits on social contact will end . Nightclubs will be able to reopen and Downing Street hopes to eliminate restrictions on the numbers attending weddings and funerals.
Confidence for spring and summer
Boris said the goal was to be “cautious, but irreversible. At each stage, decisions will be based on data, not dates. There is a credible route to a Britain without COVID and a world without COVID”.
Likewise, the wild haired British leader put on display his confidence that the situation will be very different in spring and summer: “They will be seasons of hope, of looking and feeling incomparably better for all of us.” he concluded.

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Curated news stories for English speakers who #LoveGranCanaria

The Canary News, Views & Sunshine - Est. 2009

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