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Latest Gran Canaria News, Views & Sunshine

The Canary Guide #WeekendTips 9-11 June 2023

 

A delightful second weekend of June ahead with all kinds of events to get involved with on Gran Canaria. The Harvest Fair arrives on the south, in El Tablero, patron saints’ fiestas in honour of San Antonio of Padua and San Pedro are happening around the island, Corpus Christi salt carpets and processions are held this Sunday, markets and music festivals as well as sporting events. Hopefully the weather will sustain all these wonderful festivities and happenings in the glorious outdoors, on which so much depends on this little island.

Menas Case: Foundation Siglo XXI directors allegedly filed false invoices, unrealistic expenses and repeatedly drew funds from ATMs, meant for the care of migrant children, even charging botox facial treatments and posh restaurant bills to foundation debit cards

A comprehensive analysis conducted by Group I of the Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit (UDEF) of the National Police yielded scandalous results, writes Spanish language daily Canarias7, regarding the alleged irregular use of the public funds intended for the care of unaccompanied minors, by the suspected to have been perpetrated by centres managed by the Foundation Social Response Siglo XXI on Gran Canaria and Lanzarote. In this case, driven by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, investigators discovered that the director of the Guiniguada centre charged the NGO responsible for €1,500 worth of beauty treatments and €1,113 for bills at top restaurants including Vinófilos, El Vasco de Vegueta, and Triciclo.

 
 

 

Centre-Right Pact Between Regionalists (CC) And Resident Conservatives (PPAV) Returns Marco Aurelio Perez As Southern Mayor

The conservative Partido Popular-Agrupación de Vecinos (PP-AV) and the right of centre regionalist Coalición Canaria (CC) have this Thursday signed a local government pact that will shape the future of the southern Gran Canaria tourism municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana. The alliance, dubbed a “Pact for Stability and Socioeconomic Progress of San Bartolomé Tirajana”, represents 60% of the votes cast in the municipality’s recent local elections, emphasised the  mayor-elect, Marco Aurelio Pérez (PP-AV), who returns for the third time to lead the local council responsible for some of the most important tourism areas on the island, including Maspalomas, Playa del Inglés and San Agustín.

 
 

 

Local Government Coalition Agreement Maspalomas and the South of Gran Canaria

A governing coalition pact has been finalised in San Bartolomé de Tirajana. The Popular Party–Agrupación de Vecinos (PP-AV) conservative residents party is to join forces with regionalist centre-right Coalición Canaria (CC) to govern the main tourist municipality on Gran Canaria for the next four years. Marco Aurelio Pérez will serve as mayor for the entire four-year term, and the Popular Party will take charge of Employment, Sports, Roads and Infrastructure, and Human Resources, among other areas. The regionalists, led by Alejandro Marichal, will oversee Urban Planning, Economy and Finance, and Tourism as their main departments.

 
 

 

Storm Óscar Latest: Government of the Canary Islands Declares Rain Alert for Western Islands and Gran Canaria

A storm system, dubbed Óscar, has formed over the last few days over the mid-north Atlantic, unusual for this time of year, and has led to concern from meteorologists and journalists as it passes south of the Azores, its tail should reach The Canary Islands, before the system heads northeast towards mainland Spain.  Advisory warnings have been issued in expectation of heavy rainfall, primarily in the Western Isles of the Canary Islands Archipelago, though some rainfall is also expected to reach Gran Canaria over the next couple of days.  It seems unlikely that any major consequences will stem from the bad weather, however these things can be unpredictable and so every precaution is taken to ensure people are informed and kept safe.

 
 

 

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Phase II: Canary Islands beaches to reopen for recreational use from Monday

On Monday, May 25, beaches on Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and La Palma will open once more for people to be able to sunbathe and swim recreationally, however showers, foot-baths and designated recreational areas will stay closed to avoid possible infections from Covid-19.

These remaining five will join the other Canary Islands, La Gomera, El Hierro and La Graciosa already in phase two of the Spanish state de-escalation plan, which were among the first places in Spain to advance to that stage last Monday. This will mean greater levels of freedom throughout the Canary Islands, including leisure use of beaches, although the state regulations have once again generated uncertainties.
A technical meeting of the Canary Islands Federation of Municipalities (FECAM) and the regional government was convened yesterday to establish a framework protocol for the measures to be taken by the various municipalities in allowing access to their beaches. They recognised the differences between a small cove and beaches that stretch for kilometers, with the intention of clarifying some of the issues likely to be encountered.

At this time, the priority is security “on the ground,” said Tomás Pérez, Mayor of La Aldea and leader of the Fecam security commission, so lifeguard teams from the Red Cross will join the Local Police to control compliance with the rules of social distancing and protection measures.
All across Spain there are still many unknowns. Although Fecam is clear that, as a general rule, showers and recreation areas will be closed and that the separation between beach users will be monitored, there are still multiple issues that need to be defined.

In Andalusia, for instance, there are proposed measures to limit the capacity of people on the beaches. There they are recommending showering before going to the beach and then again upon arrival, with people being asked to not stay on the beach for more than four hours to avoid crowds. Other areas, such as Galicia, are asking people to make a prior appointment to avoid overcrowding. FECAM do not plan to go to these extremes in the Canary Islands. Pérez refered to the first day that we were allowed to exercise, in phase zero, or to go to bar and restaurant terraces, in phase one. Though there were crowds at first, the numbers have lessened, which he believes demonstrates that it is a matter of individual responsibility, which can be extrapolated to the general opening of the beaches, which can already be used for sports training. He stressed that we cannot yet relax our efforts to mitigate the effects of a virus that has claimed 155 lives on the islands and more than 27,700 in Spain.

The ministerial order for the penultimate phase two of de-escalation indicates that visits to the beaches will be allowed, always maintaining a minimum safety distance of at least two meters, or, failing that, using alternative measures of physical protection, including consistent hand hygiene and a mask, mandatory in public spaces. Groups can be a maximum of 15 people.

Shopping centres, bars, restaurants, nightclubs, cinemas, theaters, weddings and funerals

Shopping centers will also be allowed to reopen under phase two rules, however, with quite a few limitations, as common areas and recreational areas will still be out of bounds, and capacity will be limited to 40% with a preferential service schedule established for people over 65 years of age.

Restaurants will be able to allow customers to enter inside, once more, although food and drink cannot be consumed at the bar and seating will be limited to one third of capacity, so that there is sufficient separation between customers. Nightclubs will not open yet.

Cultural spaces such as libraries and museums will be joined by cinemas, theaters and auditoriums, which will open to the public with previously assigned seating and limited to a third of capacity. Shows must host audiences of less than 50 people indoors and less than 400 outdoors.

In addition, from phase two, weddings can be held in all types of facilities, at up to 50% venue capacity and without exceeding 100 guests in outdoor spaces or 50 in closed spaces.

Funeral wakes will also have a limit of 25 people in open spaces or 15 in closed spaces. And among other relaxation measures in phase two of de-escalation, places of worship will now be limited to half normal capacity.

The Canary News

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