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Your voice in Spain O P LIVE RESS

The

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FREE Vol. 2 Issue 30 www.theolivepress.es May 14th - May 27th 2020 COSTA BLANCA

THE MAN WHO BEAT COVID TWICE

An expat from Alicante has proven you can catch coronavirus a second time... and still survive

AN emu has become the latest victim of coronavirus. The flightless bird in Verdegas, Alicante, has been left homeless after its owner died of COVID-19. It was part of a menagerie of 27 animals, which also included a llama – since re-homed in Barcelona – that were left abandoned. A concerned local called in El Refugio del Burrito donkey sanctuary in Cordoba, which has been sending supplies for the animals to be fed. When it comes to being rehomed, the emu has been left firmly down the pecking order. Nicky Cohen, from the refuge said: “The problem is that you need a special zoological licence to own an emu. “If there is anyone who does have the right papers, we would love to hear from them.”

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EXCLUSIVE

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TOUGH AS OLD BOOTS: Ian Tanner has twice been diagnosed but cheated death

Down the pecking order

Find out how on P5

THE European Union is making a desperate bid to salvage the holiday season for the costas. It comes after Brits were warned that holidays abroad this summer are ‘very likely’ to be cancelled. Health Secretary Matt Hancock broke the potentially devastating news for Spain during an appearance on ITV’s This Morning on Tuesday.

By Laurence Dollimore and Joshua Parfitt

“We haven’t made a final decision... but it is unlikely that big, lavish in- ternational holidays are going to be possible for this summer,” he told hosts Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield. The move, if confirmed, would be a

At least you can do this at last..

FREEDOM: Palma residents finally get to enjoy a drink on a restaurant terrace as Mallorca enters Phase 1

Photo by Allan Binderup

Expats describe the likely cancelation of the summer holidays for Brits in Spain as ‘catastrophic’

huge blow for the Spanish tourism industry, with the costas heavily reliant on the tens of millions of British tourists who visit every summer. Some 12% of the country’s GDP is from tourism, while in the Comunidad Valenciana it is the biggest employer, generating 14.6% of the region’s GDP. The revelation by Hancock came just hours after Spain announced a mandatory 14-day quarantine for all international travellers arriving from May 15 - the same measure announced by the UK on Monday. It would mean tourists having to stay inside their accommodation for two weeks, before having to quarantine once again when arriving back to the UK. “It will most likely continue throughout the de-escalation period,” confirmed Health Minister Salvador Illa. This could run into July. For those without second homes and who don’t plan on staying for months at a time, it makes a holiday to Spain practically impossible in the short term. The moves were described as a ‘disas- ter’ by the Costa Blanca’s leading hotel association, Hosbec. “If the quarantine is still in place in July and August, we can wave good- bye to any hopes of British tourists returning this summer,” its president, Toni Mayor, said. “For places like Benidorm that de- pend so heavily on UK tourists, it would be a disaster.” He added: “I don’t see international flights to Spain resuming until July at the earliest. It’s a body blow.” Local expats are certainly in agree- ment. Former West End star and leading Benidorm entertainer Jamie Somers, said he’s already seen ‘thousands in losses’ and won’t make a penny until ‘July or August’. The singer, who performs 14 times a week in the summer, added: “What people tend to forget, is most in the entertainment game live hand-tomouth from November until the season picks up. “To have to wait four fallow months and then have the summer taken away from you… it’s catastrophic.” He added: “A number of entertainers may be forced to go home, though I do believe it’s a question of staying strong in body and mind. When it does open up, Benidorm will be ready like a raging bull.” There is still a glimmer of hope for tourism, with Ryanair announcing that it would be restarting around 40% of its flights across Europe from July 1. Flying out of 80 bases, their destinations and the probability of them filling up will depend on agreements between countries. The UK has already confirmed, for example, that quarantine measures will not apply to those travelling from France or Ireland and there will be considerable lobbying by the Spanish tourism industry and airlines over the next few weeks.

Flexible

Last night the European Union confirmed it would do everything it could to help It proposes a phased approach across the European Union that sweeps away closed borders and travel restrictions. The Commission said is looking to give people the ability, confidence and safety to travel again. “Free movement and cross-border travel are key to tourism,” insisted a spokesman. But he warned: “This approach must also be flexible, including the possibility to reintroduce certain measures if the epidemiological situation requires.” Germany is now studying an agree- ment with Mallorca, while a corridor is already set to open up between the Czech Republic and Croatia, taking in Austria and Germany. Whatever happens, it will be a mas- sive blow for Spain if the usual British influx does not happen in July and