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Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin Apr 23
CLICK HERE FOR THE FEATURE ARTICLES "Spain finally waves goodbye to face masks" and "SpTH Form scrapped for vaccinated travellers from the UK"
We took a week off from sending out our Editor’s Roundup Weekly Bulletin last week because of the Easter holidays, but now we’re happy to be back and thank you for your continued support.
For the same reason, it was quite a slow news week in Spain all told, but there have been some very important developments for expats living in these sunny climes and visitors coming to Spain on holiday.
Firstly, the Spanish government finally this week voted to remove the need to wear a facemask indoors – after the end of the Semana Santa processions and festivities, to course, to avoid too many crowds getting together without masks on.
A few days before that, they also got rid of the SpTH Covid declaration forms that were needed for foreign travellers to enter the country and which were becoming a useless formality devoid of any real benefit at this point.
Let’s dig in!
Travelling to Spain just got a whole lot easier
As Easter 2022 comes to a close, Spain is celebrating a healthy rebound in tourists who flocked to the country’s coasts and cities to bask in the summer-like sun this Holy Week. Coastal resorts registered occupancy rates of between 80% and 100%, returning to pre-pandemic levels, while President Sánchez celebrated Spain as being “one of the four most sought-after countries in the world as a tourist destination.”
On the Costa Blanca, especially, the first major tourism opportunity of 2022 has been hailed a success, breaking Easter tourism records with a turnover of 500 million euros. Three-quarters of all hotels in the Valencia region were open to guests and recorded occupancy levels above 70%. And the hospitality sector is confident the outlook is “positive for coming months” with all eyes now on the rest of spring and summer.
In recent months, Brits have returned to the top spot as the most frequent visitors to Spain, and this Easter was no exception: tourists from the UK exceeded 2019 figures by 12%, and travel has just become a whole lot easier as passengers arriving from Britain who hold an EU Digital Covid Certificate or an NHS Covid Pass will no longer need to complete the lengthy SpTH Form prior to arrival.
In addition, the Spanish government announced on Saturday April 9 that unvaccinated minors aged between 12 and 17 from non-EU or Schengen associated third countries will be permitted to enter Spain with a negative PCR test carried out 72 hours before departure.
At the same time, airline Jet2 has announced that tourists will have a score of new routes to choose from between several UK and NI airports and Spanish holiday hotspots. Travellers from Ireland needn’t feel left out either, as Brittany Ferries is launching its new luxury ‘cruise ferry’ to Spain in November, which will operate between Rosslare and Bilbao.However, a major fly in the ointment is Spain’s controversial (albeit voluntary) tourist tax, which could see holidaymakers having to pay between 50 cents and two euros per night to stay in hotels, holiday apartments and campsites on the Costa Blanca from next year. Small businesses in Alicante, especially, have warned that the measure could lead to losses of up to 60 million euros and claims the proposed tax, which many resorts like Benidorm have already made it categorically clear they will not be introducing, is putting off British holidaymakers.
Additionally, while getting out to Spain may now be that bit easier, for visitors travelling back home from the Mediterranean country, it’s best to get to the airport in plenty of time. Spain’s airports are suffering from lengthy queues and waiting times of the kind that have plagued UK airports for weeks. Chronic staff shortages left 3,000 people grounded at Barcelona’s airport during Semana Santa, and the airlines have warned that the situation will become even more chaotic as the summer approaches. The problem particularly affects Brits and other non-EU travellers, whose documents require more extensive checking, but the installation of a new traffic control system over French airspace will also lead to Europe-wide delays and disruptions in the coming months. Be sure to pack a whole bunch of patience in your suitcase with you…
Beneath the mask
It’s been a tough couple of years for everyone, but now it seems we’re finally getting back to normal. Not even a new normal. Just normal (almost).
We can go on holiday again without the added cost and pressures of PCR tests and passenger locator forms; we can see friends and family without having to self-isolate and keep social distancing rules; and now, as of this week in Spain, we can go indoors without a facemask on.
It was 700 days from the moment the mask rule was brought in in Spain to the day they took it away, this Wednesday April 20. You can now once again enjoy our favourite tipple in a bar or indulge in a nice meal at a restaurant without wearing a pesky mask every time you want to stand up to use the bathroom. The measure has also been abolished in supermarkets, shops, theatres, cinemas and the gym, and in schools for children of all ages.
As with every safety measure, there are some limitations, however: masks are still mandatory on all public transport, including taxis and planes, and they will still be required in health and social care settings such as pharmacies, doctors, dentists, health care centres and nursing homes.
While other parts of Europe (like Italy) continue to be strict on facemask usage, others (like the UK) have not required people to wear face coverings for months now. Yes, it’s highly recommended when in poorly ventilated or crowded spaces, but in reality nobody is bothered very much anymore.What’s unclear is how many people will still keep wearing the mask even though it’s no longer obligatory. Masks were abolished outdoors in Spain two months ago but there are still plenty of people who continue wearing them in the street. In our utterly unrepresentative and unscientific Twitter poll, we found that 61.9% people still intend to keep wearing their masks.
We’re all so used to wearing masks indoors, it may be difficult to get used to not wearing them. That sense of unease and danger, of doing something naughty, is likely to stay with us for a while. For better or for worse, it also seems that the age-old Spanish custom of ‘dos besos’ – kissing someone on each cheek when you meet them – will for now remain by the wayside where it fell two years ago.
Then again, it may be very easy to get used to not wearing the mask after a few days, and once we start seeing more people forgoing the mask inside, we are more likely to copy them due to the power of social pressure. Anyone visiting Spain from the UK, the US or other countries where mask-wearing indoors isn’t mandatory will have had the opposite kind of reaction up until now, feeling it oppressive and unfamiliar to wear a mask, and will be grateful that they no longer have to do it.
The worst thing now though is that we’ll actually have to put our makeup on in the mornings and – perish the thought – smile at people and pretend to be glad to see them!
Coronavirus
The Spanish government agonised over the decision to scrap masks for months, but eventually decided that the pandemic figures were positive enough to pull the trigger. In fact, Covid stats have been on a bit of a see-saw lately, but while the number of infections and the incidence rate is fluctuating, ICU admissions in the country as a whole are declining on an almost daily basis, thanks in no small part to the fact that 92.5% of the population is now double jabbed.
It’s not all rosy in the park, however, as the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned nations to keep a very close eye on the emergence of the XE coronavirus variant, which has already been detected in Spain. XE is a recombinant mixture between the original Omicron and the ‘stealth’ variant, and preliminary studies show that it is about 10% more transmissible than stealth Omicron.
While the new biweekly reporting system for Covid stats, which includes only reporting the cumulative incidence rate for over-60s and vulnerable, immunocompromised people, has allowed the Spanish government to justify removing facemasks, the truth is that Covid data are not improving as steadily as they would like.
In the Murcia Region, specifically, daily infections have stabilised around the 800-case mark, when at the beginning of the month this figure had dropped to almost 200, while in Andalucía this figure is closer to 3,000 per day!
For all the latest coronavirus news and updates in Spain, use the link above
Murcia
The most tragic story to come out of Murcia in the last two weeks was that of the elderly motorist who died after blacking out behind the wheel and swerving several times before colliding with a crash barrier on the RM-3 in Mazarrón.It was another motorist who called the Murcia emergency services at around 11am Tuesday April 12 upon seeing a vehicle that appeared to be out of control before careering into a guardrail at the El Saladillo exit of the dual carriageway. The 74-year-old driver was sadly found unresponsive behind the wheel of the car. There were no other occupants and nobody else was harmed in the incident, but it has rocked the local community in Mazarrón, who have shared their deepest sympathies with the family of the elderly man.
Also having problems on the roads were Murcia truck drivers, who are facing huge delays of more than 24 hours when trying to enter the UK. Some HGV drivers from Murcia had to endure waits of up to 36 hours at the British port of Dover, unable to cross the English Channel. Official sources report that there were queues of up to 50 kilometres along the highways leading to the Eurotunnel, and trucks heading to the French port of Calais to embark for the UK faced similar disruptions.
The travel hell comes just weeks after the end of the lorry drivers’ strike in Spain. The British government has blamed the collapse mainly on shipping company P&O, which has temporarily stopped operating many of the ferries that connect the UK and Europe after laying off 800 employees to cut costs. Added to this are the ongoing problems with the computer systems at customs, which were implemented after Brexit and have considerably slowed the entire process down.
The recent rains in Murcia, which also affected large swathes of the rest of Spain, have had a devastating effect on many crops for farmers, affecting some 30% of the harvests for this year. According to the agricultural and framing association COAG, of the 360,000 hectares of productive arable land in the Region, 200,000 have either been “affected or very affected”. This is a massive blow for a community whose economy relies largely on agriculture. The bad weather has also caused delays in harvesting and pruning, which has resulted in rot, root suffocation and fungi. Among the most damaged crops are broccoli, cauliflower and lettuce, while 90% of melon and watermelon crops have had to be destroyed.
As if this weren’t bad enough, an intense hail storm which battered parts of the Murcia Region this Wednesday has caused severe damage to many of the peach, nectarine, plum and pear crops, with farms in the town of Cieza the hardest hit. It now seems inevitable that the price of fresh produce will go up in Murcia in the coming months as a result.
In response to the rapidly spiralling cost of living, the regional government in Murcia has announced a shock plan to mitigate against the sectors worst affected by the Ukraine invasion. The plan will provide 35 million euros in loans, aid to small- and medium-sized businesses, guarantees to farmers and petrol stations affected by the new 20 cent per litre national fuel discount, as well as up to two million euros for public transport companies.
For families and regular citizens, a line of rental aid will be made available to cover the increases in electricity and gas, plus new measures to encourage people to install solar panels on their properties. Finally, there will be a 99% discount on the Spanish Property Transfer Tax, meaning that once the measure is fully approved and passed in the legislative, this may be a good time to buy property in Murcia.
For news on all the events coming up soon in the Murcia and Alicante area, be sure to CHECK OUT OUR EVENTS DIARY!
Spain
In Spain, the impact of the war on Ukraine is being felt far and wide, continually pushing prices up, and electricity is proving to be the most volatile market of all. This week, in the space of 24 hours, electricity prices reached their lowest figure this year – since October 2021 in fact – before a terrific rebound shot prices up again by a whopping 90%.
The situation is so unstable that both the Spanish government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are revising their predictions for economic growth downwards, while forecasting that inflation will shoot up by 5.3% this year.
But there are still savings to be had, albeit in an unlikely place: water. That’s right, a humble glass of water will help us mind the pennies as bars and restaurants in Spain are now obliged to offer tap water for free in a bid to cut down on the number of single-use bottles and containers thrown out in this country. Likewise, shops and supermarkets will have to encourage bulk purchases of water while local authorities will be tasked with providing ample drinking fountains and reusable containers.
We know by now that there’s always something brewing with the traffic authorities in Spain, but this week it’s very good news indeed for Brits, as the Spanish government is in ongoing negotiations with the UK to ensure that British nationals who are resident in Spain can exchange their driving licences for Spanish ones without having to take a theory and practical driving test. As it stands, after the April 30 deadline, Brits living in Spain won’t be able to drive on a UK licence, but the powers that be are hopeful that an agreement can be reached before then.
Where there’s good news, there’s going to be bad, and the DGT has once again highlighted a few traps that drivers could fall into and earn themselves hefty fines. This week it’s for campervan drivers. As the summer approaches, innumerable motorhomes will take to the Spanish roads to explore everything the country has to offer, but it’s worth remembering that motorhomes are subject to the same traffic regulations as regular cars, such as speed limits and parking restrictions, and unauthorised overnight camping can lead to huge fines.
But wait... did we mention summer approaching? You’d be forgiven for thinking Spain was still in the depths of winter given the weather of late. March was practically a total washout and April roared in with ferocious storms that flooded towns and cities and battered coastlines that had to scramble to recover before Easter. In fact, in the middle of this week Spain experienced the most intense period of snowfall in more than 20 years, and several roads had to be closed off as they quickly became impassable. Things are looking up, however, and the weather is becoming far more spring-like with sunny skies, slightly warmer temperatures and occasional showers.
Alicante
In a bid to attract a niche market which has grown since the start of the pandemic – staycations with pets – the Costa Blanca Tourist Board is promoting a new image with the launch of a new campaign and branding. The ‘Costa Blanca: Pet Friendly’ initiative aims to capitalise on the fact that there are more than five million dogs registered in Spain, and in the Valencia region pet owners spend an average of 54 euros a month on their care whilst also choosing to travel with their furry friends instead of leaving them at home or in kennels.
More and more tourist accommodations are welcoming pets and dog friendly beaches are springing up everywhere. Now the region’s Tourist Board wants to pull the details of all animal friendly venues, parks, beaches, infrastructures and accommodation together and market them under the Costa Blanca’s very own ‘Pet Friendly’ destinations banner. More than 20 towns have already expressed an interest in joining the initiative.
At a local level, the Alicante town of Finestrat plans to put itself on the map as a top destination for sport lovers in the province, and is giving a new lease of life to the obsolete Sierra Cortina golf course which will be transformed into a tennis sports centre. Once the nine padel tennis courts are created in Finestrat as planned, it would become the second-largest space for lovers of the sport in the Marina Baixa area of Alicante.
In addition to stunning beaches, culture and cuisine, a major draw for tourists to the Costa Blanca is of course the almost all-year-round sunshine. But spells of sunshine have been few and far between over recent weeks, and the unstable weather resulted in spectacular scenes in the popular tourist town of Torrevieja this week.
An incredible, rarely seen waterspout was spotted off the coast of the coastal town following a heavy storm that dumped water and even hail leading to the huge column of cloud-filled wind swirling over the sea which lasted for quite some time, growing in size.Meanwhile, a day at the beach almost ended in tragedy for a father and his two daughters who narrowly avoided being swept out to sea and drowning after deciding to take a dip in the sea at Carrer la Mar beach in El Campello – despite warning flags alerting the public to strong currents.
Lifeguards have been praised for their “quick actions”, which arguably saved the lives of the family, after two of them jumped into the water and managed to drag the young sisters to safety. Rescuing the father proved far more difficult due to the heavy swell, but after a “lengthy period”, he too was brought to shore showing early signs of hypothermia.
Also in Torrevieja, a brutal attack on a Ukrainian barman by three Russian men has been condemned by the Ukrainian Consulate in Valencia which is demanding “greater protection” and “prosecution of hate crimes”. The victim was viciously punched and kicked until he was semi-conscious, all of which was caught on the bar's CCTV. According to the Consulate, “these are not the first assaults by Russian citizens on Ukrainians”, citing “death threats on social networks against Ukrainian associations and 
slashed tyres”, and is calling on the Spanish government to send a clear message to foreign residents who support dictatorships and attack minorities.
slashed tyres”, and is calling on the Spanish government to send a clear message to foreign residents who support dictatorships and attack minorities.Police in Alicante have managed to thwart costly scams this week with the arrests of two Spanish men in Teulada over a province-wide swimming pool construction con in which potential clients were swindled out of more than 120,000 euros. Elsewhere, a Belgian vehicle storage operator at Alicante-Elche Airport who managed to avoid paying one million euros in parking fees using dodgy license plates has also been detained.
Andalucía
The biggest news in Spain’s southern Andalucía region over the last two weeks was the body of a British pensioner that was found in a rubbish tip in Almeria. 82-year-old Denis Walker had been missing for nearly three weeks, having disappeared from the La Parilla Hotel in Albox on March 25. His daughter explained that he suffered with dementia but never usually wandered off.Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened and his corpse was found by Spanish police at a rubbish dump near the town of Arboleas, around six miles from where he went missing. The investigation into the exact circumstances surrounding his death is ongoing.
At the other end of the Autonomous Community, in the province of Cádiz, a man was gored and seriously injured during a traditional bullrunning festival. The Toro del Aleluya celebrations in Arcos de la Frontera, which are nearly 100 years old and involve releasing agitated bulls into the streets to chase intrepid runners, as is still common in many Spanish towns’ fiestas, most notably the running of the bulls in Pamplona.
This time, one of the participants got what many would say was coming to him when he was skewered in the streets and given several broken ribs by one of the bulls. There were rumours on social media that the man had died, but he is alive and recovering in hospital. The same cannot be said of the bull, which was ritually slaughtered in the horrifying bloodsport of bullfighting at the festival’s climax.
How many people have to be injured, and how many more innocent animals have to be tortured before bullfighting in Spain is permanently banned? So ingrained is it still in the collective conscience and the culture of the Spanish people that despite widespread opposition and increasing protests by animal rights groups against it, it is unlikely that we will see the back of bullfighting any time soon.
Other environmental groups have been concerned at the arrival of US and British nuclear submarines in the dock of Gibraltar, just off the Cádiz coast. The Spanish Foreign Ministry has lodged a diplomatic complaint and the Verdemar conservation group Ecologistas en Acción (Ecologists in Action) have also voiced their concern about the fact that the security measures in place in Gibraltar aren’t robust enough to handle vessels armed with nuclear weapons and it could present a danger to both the security of Gibraltar locals and the environment.
On the Malaga shoreline, meanwhile, in the town of Marbella, a deadly drug has washed onto the Costa del Sol beaches in the recent storms and is already poisoning unsuspecting pets. Hashish is frequently dumped into the ocean by narco boats when they are discovered by authorities, and when it washes up on the beach it smells sweet is attractive to dogs. Unfortunately, it is extremely dangerous for dogs and causes vomiting, nausea and sometimes even death. If you suspect your pet is in danger and has swallowed something it shouldn’t, go to the vet right away.
You may have missed…
- Lyrid meteor shower lights up the sky in Murcia, Spain this week.
Spain will be treated to a truly breathtaking sight when the Lyrid meteor shower streaks across the sky at its peak time, on Friday night, April 22 and into the early hours of Saturday morning. - Officials in Spain issue warning over counterfeit bank notes.
Counterfeit money is a big business in Spain and as the summer season approaches, Spanish police are warning people to check their cash very carefully to make sure it’s real legal tender. - Violent burglar who threatened residents in their Alicante homes is jailed without bail.
A violent sneak-in burglar who invaded Alicante homes and terrified sleeping residents has been jailed without bail. During one of the horrifying home raids, a woman jumped over a balcony to escape her own home after being threatened with a knife and physically assaulted. - San Pedro del Pinatar badly flooded despite little rain.
Residents of El Mojón in San Pedro del Pinatar are up in arms this week after the bad weather has flooded its streets for the seventeenth time in the last seven months, despite the fact that the municipality experienced far less rain than others in Murcia. - Tourists warned of huge car rental shortage in Spain.
Car rental companies in Spain are facing a serious lack of supply due to the global shortage of semiconductors.
That’s all from us for this week. Thanks for reading every week. We really appreciate it and it’s wonderful to be back this week. If you like reading your bulletin and know someone else who might want to read it too, you can send them this link to sign up and start receiving the email too: https://murciatoday.com/weekly_bulletin.html
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