Operation Freedom begins: 90 percent. the vaccinated area is an example of how we will continue to live

“Operation Freedom begins,” Samantha Sacramento wrote on Twitter alongside the photo.

Operation freedom begins 🍷🍷 🙌 pic.twitter.com/YE88eJM9cg

– Samantha Sacramento (@SamanthaSacra) March 1, 2021

Operation Freedom, Gibraltar’s so-called vaccination program, is now approaching its goal: in the coming days, the British Overseas Territory will be one of the first places in the world to vaccinate anyone over the age of 16 with both doses of the vaccine. .

“The mission is almost complete,” Sacramento said. “I felt so much better, it was so much easier, like we were about to go back to normal life.”

More than 90 percent. of the 33,000 inhabitants of Gibraltar have already been vaccinated with two doses of the vaccine. With the exception of about three percent of those who refused to be vaccinated, the rest will receive the second dose in the next few days. These statistics raise hopes that the area can turn the page on a pandemic that has claimed 94 lives and infected more than 4,200 people.

The vaccination campaign was also extended to neighboring Spain, where vaccines were offered to more than 10,000 workers who regularly travel to Gibraltar.

Signs of the post-war era are already floating in the air, bars and restaurants are open until the second night, the curfew has been canceled, and the rules for wearing face masks will soon be relaxed, requiring that Use only indoors and on public transportation. The number of cases in the area has dropped to fifteen and there are no COVID-19 patients in hospitals.

Such a major turnaround in this pandemic situation was recently greeted by British Health Secretary Matt Hancock in the UK House of Commons, albeit more than a week earlier and unaware of reports that the Vatican and British Territory of Overseas, Ascension Island in the South Atlantic, are among the areas.

“I am pleased to inform the House that yesterday Gibraltar became the first country in the world to complete a full vaccination program for the adult population,” Hancock told MPs last week.

The main factor behind Gibraltar’s rapid vaccination campaign was its small population, densely populated by less than eight square kilometers, and the UK’s uninterrupted supply of vaccines, primarily Pfizer / BioNTech, since the beginning of January.

The constant supply of vaccines delivered by the Royal Air Force to the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula is very different from the situation in much of the continent, further exacerbating the centuries-long dispute for territorial sovereignty between Britain and Spain.

“I think everyone in Gibraltar now thinks the same, thank God we are British territory at the moment,” said Fabian Picardo, the prime minister of the area.

The virus reached the territory of the first batch of vaccines as soon as the virus began to ravage Gibraltar, Picardo said. “We lost 84 people in sixty days.” It was “the most desperate and blackest winter,” he said, adding: “And now we are entering a promising spring.”

The area is becoming a role model for UK officials, who are using their data to carefully try to figure out what full vaccination means when access to vaccines remains uneven and new strains of the virus continue to emerge.

The massive event renewal will be tested in the coming weeks: more than 600 viewers – 30 percent. capacity – you will be allowed to watch the FIFA World Cup qualifiers between Gibraltar and the Netherlands. Those who have been vaccinated with two doses of the vaccine, or who have recently been vaccinated with COVID-19, will need to report a negative result before entering.

“We will be experimental rabbits,” said Picardo. The area also hopes to consider travel corridors with the UK, he said.

As Gibraltar slowly retreats from COVID-induced hibernation, the data will be closely monitored at every stage.

“Once we are vaccinated, it will give us a sense of security,” said Health Minister S. Sacramento. – But the verdict has not yet been published. We don’t yet have enough data or evidence to understand the scope of security. “

In Gibraltar, the attraction points of the people rejoice in a gradual return to life. Iain Ballantine, who runs the cafe and bakery, is delighted to be able to resume business, allowing him to get the restrictions lifted in late March, writes CNN.

“That three-month quarantine has caused a lot of stress, but now, I think people here are safer than anywhere else. Life begins to return to normal ”, the businessman rejoices.

Ballantine, a member of the Gibraltar Catering Association, who has been sick with COVID for a long time, has no pity on the local authorities for the vaccination campaign and is happy that people are no longer afraid of eating out.

“I was lucky none of my employees got sick, they were vaccinated, which is another encouragement for customers to come back to us,” says Ballantine.

The opening of the border with Spain was also allowed, which is a really welcome change for those who felt imprisoned during the second quarantine and could not leave the 6.8 square kilometers.

Real estate agent Sarah Azopardi, having coffee with friends, welcomes the strategy that has allowed Gibraltar to lift restrictions earlier than elsewhere.

“I think we were very lucky because we passed the time. Now that it is possible to go to Spain and do things that were forbidden until recently, I feel much better. Gibraltar is very small, it is easy to feel trapped here,” says the woman.

There is hope that this is just the beginning. Those who have already received both doses of the vaccine have received a vaccine passport, a document that is expected to allow them to travel later.

Gibraltar introduced its first quarantine on March 22, 2020, and the third opening phase began in June.

During that time, the local authority made COVID-19 a free test. All Gibraltar residents over the age of sixteen who have a valid medical card can do so without prior registration. The Beat Covid Gibraltar contact tracker application has been developed.

Gibraltar’s strategy appears to have paid off, with only ten people currently ill and no coronavirus patients in hospital.

Any quick return to pre-covid life will be inseparable from the psychological imprint that remains after years of avoiding physical contact, he added.

“Here in Gibraltar, we have that culture: we are very open, very friendly, welcomed with hugs or kisses. But now I miss him, ”he said. “Socially, we’ve probably gotten a little more cautious.”

Gibraltar authorities said last week that they were relaxing the requirements to wear face masks because the majority of the British population has already been vaccinated against the coronavirus and morbidity rates are very low, Reuters reports.

On Sunday, only ten people in Gibraltar had coronavirus at the time, authorities said. In total, in the British territory, where 33 thousand live. 700 people, 94 people died from coronavirus.

“It’s great to get back to normal life … to see people enjoy life, I hope everything goes well and the numbers increase,” says Peter Maund, a 45-year-old resident.

Protective masks are no longer mandatory on and near Gibraltar’s main street, although they will continue to be used on public transport and in shops.

Paul Anthony, who went for a walk with his wife Catherina without a mask, is satisfied with Gibraltar’s progress in the field of vaccination: the majority of the population has already received the vaccine.

“The workers are coming back through the walls, which is very good. We need to move forward. We can be a great example for the whole world ”, the man rejoices.

But certainly not everyone left the masks at home on Sunday, one of them was a tourist from Spain, Desire Giménez, 27.

“The truth is that I don’t feel completely safe. Uncomfortable without masks, we get too used to it. Although all have been vaccinated, I will continue to wear the mask, ”says the young woman.

Delphi recalls that this week has also taken a step towards quarantine in the United Kingdom, but that new numbers of coronavirus cases are emerging with concern in neighboring European countries.

With vaccination coverage in the UK exceeding that of the European Union, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has relaxed the “stay home” order for nearly three months.

It is recommended to stay in your area of ​​England from Monday.

People can meet groups of up to six people outdoors, as well as play sports, such as basketball, tennis, or golf. Other constituent areas of the UK, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are taking similar steps. In Wales, thousands of people flooded beaches and other natural sites on Saturday after authorities lifted travel restrictions in place since December.

Stephen Powis, head of the National Health Service (NHS) in England, has urged residents to continue to follow the rules and limit contact with others, saying that lowering the quarantine “does not mean that it is all done.”

“We have made tremendous progress, which we must maintain and not waste what we have already done,” he wrote in an article in The Sunday Telegraph.

There are still non-essential shops in Britain, as well as pubs, restaurants, gyms, cinemas, theaters, museums and sports stadiums.

Millions of workers are still in downtime and the state pays them part of their wages. Mortality from COVID-19 in the UK is the highest in Europe – the country has already seized more than 126,000 coronaviruses. persons.

In many continental European countries, with new coronavirus cases on the rise, Britain has high hopes for a rapid mass vaccination program that is expected to help lift the quarantine. To date, nearly 30 million have been vaccinated with the first dose of the vaccine in the country. people, or 56 percent. of all adults. UK authorities expect all people over 18 to be vaccinated with the first dose of the vaccine in July.