Tag: services

Latest Gran Canaria News, Views & Sunshine

Vox Enters Canarian Politics, Stage Right: Anti-Migrant, Anti-Feminist, Anti-Green, Anti-Autonomy, Anti-LGBT, Anti-Multiculturalism, Pro-Franco politics find a foothold on The Canary Islands

The Canary Islands were unable to avoid the rise of the far right on Sunday, unlike in 2019, writes Natalia G. Vargas in Canarias Ahora. Vox, which previously had no representation on the islands, managed to make its presence felt in several municipalities and councils this May 28. They also secured seats in the Canary Islands’ regional parliament, securing four deputies. “Defending what is ours, our own, and fighting against insecurity” were the slogans that underpinned Vox’s campaign in The Canary Islands, along with “family, employment, and freedom.” This rhetoric, coupled with an electoral program that was repeated across all local elections in Spain, proved sufficient. Dozens of cities and towns on the islands welcomed their first far right candidates of the modern democratic era into Canarian politics, with urban areas serving as their main strongholds.

La Alcaldesa Bueno Secures Incredible Majority in Mogán

Mogán, May 29, 2023 – The often controversial incumbent, O Bueno, La Alcaldesa, has achieved an unprecedented and resounding victory once more in Mogán. The candidate who switched her party’s name, for these elections, to “Juntos por Mogán”, a local ally of the regionalist conservatives “Coalición Canaria” (CC), will once again assume the role of mayor. Her party has clinched a rather noteworthy 17 out of the 21 seats in the Municipal Council of this popular tourism destination located on the sunny southwest of Gran Canaria.

The Canary Guide Día de Canarias #WeekendTips 26-28 May 2023

 
What an interesting last weekend of May ahead. Weather predictions are showing some rain showers are likely across Gran Canaria. This extended #WeekendTips covers up to Tuesday, when all things Canarian are celebrated on the Día de Canarias. There’ll be some gorgeous Patron Saints’ festivities happening in San Fernando de Maspalomas as well as in Valleseco.

Fun Fact:
Valleseco literally means “dry valley” in Spanish, but is actually one of the wettest municipalities Gran Canaria. Nestling between the famous fresh water sources of Firgas & Teror, half way up the island’s mountainous northern slopes, this area is well known for its apple growers, cider and its weekly market

Six weeks since the unexplained disappearance of Anna-Karin on Gran Canaria

The authorities on Gran Canaria have been engaged in a rigorous search for Swedish tourist Anna-Karin Bengtsson, who went missing in the south of Gran Canaria around April 9. Her unexplained disappearance has caused her family much distress, with no clues to her whereabouts having emerged in the six weeks since they first realised her phone was no longer functioning.

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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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Air accident simulation exercise at Gran Canaria airport

AENA, together with health, emergency, security and rescue services throughout the island, held an air accident simulation on Tuesday, June 19. After several months of planning, holding various meetings, the different security measures to be taken into account were established in the simulation, in which not only the airport’s own facilities were mobilised, but also a large number of external resources.
This exercise consisted of a simulated aeroplane accident near the head of the runway on a piece of land located around El Burrero. This necessitated Local Police, Civil Protection units, ambulances, fire trucks, among many other troops to a attend the scene.
Emergency services including the 112 coordination centre, GES, SUC and the General Directorate of Safety and Emergencies, recreated a scenario surrounding an accident of an AT75 type aircraft, with 11 passengers and 4 crew on board near the head of the runway. 
All the involved agencies practised their public reporting procedures using media such as Twitter to ensure timely information was being released and instructions broadcast.
After the execution of the simulation, a meeting was held at the airport to assess their speed and response to a possible accident. The last exercise of this type was carried out at these facilities two years ago during an exercise that was part of the Gran Canaria Airport Self-protection Plan in which a crash was simulated to have occurred during an approach manoeuvre between a commercial airliner and a small plane, which fell into a ravine nearby.
 

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