Canary Islands: carelessness caused the crown number to increase rapidly

Peninsular Spain and the Balearic Islands become corona risk areas

show description

Madrid.

• After being silent for a long time, the number of corona cases has recently risen: the German government has now declared the islands a risk area.
• Politicians attribute the reason for the increase to the behavior of a few party-goers
• Thus, a night of partying with super spreaders ensured that the Canary Islands could now be declared a risk zone

A long Night out caused a new corona wave in the Canary Islands, which have now been classified as a crown risk area by the RKI. The disaster began on a mild summer afternoon in August, when a group of young people wandered the nightclubs on the Spanish resort island of Gran Canaria. Read about it:
The Government declares the Canary Islands a risk zone for corona.

With the increase in alcohol consumption, all precautions were taken in the entertainment area of ​​the island’s capital. Las Palmas forgotten: masks fell, bottles spun, people danced hand-to-hand.

Canary Islands: growing number in Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Co.

The Zechtour of the first half of August had fatal consequences: the night party became a virus on the island, which until then had overcome very well this Corona summer. The partygoers became “super spreaders” – people who infected many other people with the virus. Since then, corona diseases have broken out on Gran Canaria, one of the most popular holiday islands in Spain for German-speaking vacationers.

Canary Islands: A night of partying caused the crown outbreak

Lives on the Atlantic island 850,000 peoplethat until then he felt relatively safe from the Sars-CoV-2 virus. Last year, 3.6 million foreign tourists came to Gran Canaria, one in four came from Germany. The Germans traditionally represent the largest tourist contingent. They love this island because there are spring temperatures there even in winter.

But suddenly it is Gran Canaria It has become a crown focal point. According to local health authorities, the weekly drop rate per 100,000 inhabitants recently rose to almost 150. That’s three times the threshold of 50 above which Berlin and other European governments issue travel warnings. Read here:
After the travel advisory, what’s next in the Canary Islands?

The value of the corona risk increases in the Canary Islands

This increased for the entire Canary Islands Risk value now to 96. For comparison: in Germany, this number was slightly more than nine at the beginning of the week, that is, ten times less.

At the beginning of August, Gran Canaria did not even register 30 active cases, now there are already 3,000 infected people. The after Tenerife The second largest Canary Island currently accounts for more than two-thirds of all new infections in the archipelago, which also includes the popular holiday islands of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote.

Crisis meeting between the head of government and the tour operator Tui

In one Crisis meeting Consequently, between the island’s head of government, Ángel Víctor Torres, and the largest European tour operator, Tui, the mood on Monday was moderate. Torres agreed with the vacation industry on a German government travel advisory that was “predictable.”

Also in the TUI delegation, which was headed by the councilor Sebastian Ebel, it was assumed for a few days that the Canary Islands would also end up on the black list of risk areas in Berlin.

In recent weeks, Torres had tried to address the threat of the virus with an appeal. Younger generation stop, whose boisterous party spirit is responsible for much of the new infections. “Even children are not invincible and can end up in the hospital and die,” he said.

She could be too careless tourist future endanger the islands. He also ordered the closure of all nightclubs and bars. The mask requirement has also been strengthened. But it was too late: the corona wave could no longer be stopped.

The situation does not look bad on all the islands

The following are particularly affected:

• Gran Canaria
• Lanzarote
• Iron stark

The situation is better in:

• Tenerife
• Fuerteventura
• The Palm
• La Gomera

In these four islands the risk value of 50 cases per 100,000 inhabitants has not yet been exceeded.

La Gomera By the way, it is one of Angela Merkel’s favorite islands. The German Chancellor has already been on six hiking holidays on this island. The last time he was there was Easter 2018.

The main tourist season must be saved

TUI Board During his visit to the Canary Islands, Ebel stressed that virus outbreaks are mainly registered in large island cities, “but not in tourist areas.” In Gran Canaria, for example, the vast majority of cases were registered in the island’s capital, Las Palmas. The situation is similar in Lanzarote, where Arrecife, the largest island city, is particularly affected.

The travel manager Ebel and the island’s president, Torres, agreed that the Canary Islands must do everything possible to significantly reduce the number of cases again. This is the only way to save the main season starting in November in the “Isles of Eternal Spring”. Although Mallorca is mainly visited in summer, the Canary Islands are the most popular winter destination in Europe.

Billions in losses in the tourism industry

But it is already clear that the Canarian tourism industry Billions in losses it will retract. Last year, 13.1 million international tourists came to the volcanic islands. Of these, 2.6 million came from Germany and 4.9 million from Great Britain. In the current year, just over a third of the usual turnover is expected.

By mid-August, Berlin and other European governments had already issued a travel warning for Mallorca and the entire peninsula. After that, quite a few tourists had rebooked from Mallorca to Gran Canaria, hoping to at least be able to spend a carefree holiday there.

The situation worsens in the peninsula

Now the Canary Islands are the last Spanish tourist region to lose its innocence and become a risk zone. Also in rest of spain the situation has worsened. Almost 7,000 new diseases are registered every day across the country. The incidence of cases in seven days for the whole of Spain is now 101 per 100,000 inhabitants.

In late July, Britain came forward with a travel warning for all of Spain, including a quarantine obligation. As a result, British tourism to the Canary Islands came to an abrupt halt. Mass cancellations are now also threatened from Germany.

The Canary Islands Hotel Association complains of an unprecedented crisis

Of the Canary Islands Hotel Association complains that the industry is facing an unprecedented crisis. A hotelier warns: “If tourism dies, the islands die.” The vacation sector generates a third of the island’s wealth and employs 40 percent of the workforce. Read here: Spain Corona risk zone: Majorca hoteliers threatened

In many well-known holiday bastions, such as in the Playa de las Américas area in the south of Tenerife, entire streets are already deserted. Hotels, restaurants and shops have closed their doors due to lack of customers. The local newspaper “El Día” described the situation as “tourist desolation.”

Corona – More on the pandemic

Latest panoramic videos

show description