More than 40 families caught escaping to second homes on Spain’s Costa Blanca over Palm Sunday weekends (35,501

RESIDENTS won’t have to wear face masks in the street until there are enough for everyone. The government has ruled that it would be unfair as many people are still unable to get one. For now the priority has been given to health professionals and security forces. It comes as the WHO ruled it was not necessary except for the sick and for those who care for patients in their homes.

Bad omen

A GROUP of ten are fac- ing heavy fines for break- ing lockdown rules to perform satanic rituals. Police were called in af- ter the group wearing robes were spotted in the Mas Duran forest area of Catalunya. It comes as a woman was arrested for stripping na- ked and climbing on a po- lice car in Torremolinos, near Malaga.

Can’t alter the rules A PRIEST narrowly avoided arrest when he was stopped walking around blessing people on their balconies. The Basque cleric, from San Severi- no de Balmaseda, was caught walking around his town with a bottle of holy water.

Pull the other one A MAYOR has been caught breaking lockdown to ring his village’s church bells. PP leader of Sahagun Paula Conde was caught breaking quarantine with local Podemos councillor Ramon Rodriguez. Neither took any precautionary measures such wearing a mask or social distancing. The pair were denounced and arrested after they posted their session on Facebook. Police agreed that ringing church bells was not among the essential services included in the state of emergency legislation.

PLIGHT: Homeless man walks past Bomberos preparing to disinfect care home

SOS!

Expat cruise passenger gets death threats after being wrongly accused of spreading COVID-19 ‘across world’

A BRITISH expat has re- ceived death threats after a newspaper wrongly accused her of spreading COVID-19 ‘across the world’. Coral Guise-Smith, 65, was accused of flying ‘18,447km across three continents’ to the Costa Blanca, after dis- embarking from a coronavi- rus-infected cruise ship, the Ruby Princess, on March 19. A Daily Mail article alleged that the Moraira resident ‘may have infected people’ with COVID-19 on her journey home from Australia, via Gatwick and Alicante airports. The claims were based on a series of Facebook posts in which she complained of ‘headaches’ and fever-like symptoms and was going to self-isolate when getting home. However, Coral told the Olive Press this week that she did not have the virus and that the report was both ‘shocking and frightening’. In particular, it led to five death threats, mostly via voice messages, against her and her husband, who had travelled with her. Insisting she had ‘done nothing wrong’, she added that she had worn a mask on the flights home and had not come into contact with anyone since getting home. “We were told to leave the ship and isolate until our flight was due and return to

EXCLUSIVE

By Joshua Parfitt our country of residence,” she told the Olive Press. “No one told us anything different and therefore that is what we did.” She added that she had only done what she had been told by cruise bosses, as the stricken ship hit global headlines, when it later emerged over 100 people had tested positive for COVID-19. “The blame lies solely with Princess Cruises and the New South Wales Port authority – not the 2700 passengers who are victims of their mismanagement,” she insisted. She added her headaches were due to ‘jet lag’ and that doctors in Spain have refused a coronavirus test as she doesn’t have a fever or a cough. “We wouldn’t ever risk exposing the place we love most in the world,” she added. “The threats made have been shocking and very frightening. There was no need as we have done nothing wrong.” It comes as at least 30% of COVID-19 deaths in Australian are attributed to the disastrous handling of the Ruby Princess incident. A criminal investigation has been launched into the Carnival Cruise company, based in Miami, following intense public criticism.

Time for action

PHILANTHROPIC Spanish chef Jose Andres has been celebrated on the cover of America’s Time Magazine for his COVID-19 efforts. The World Central Kitchen founder, 50, has set up soup kitchens at his Washington and New York restaurants to feed firefighters and homeless people. He also sent food to passengers on quarantined cruiseliner the Diamond Princess in Japan, on which 10 people died after contracting coronavirus.

Weddi ng surprise A COUPLE have married on their balcony after their wedding was cancelled due to COVID-19. Jose Lopez and Deborah Gurrea were stunned by their friends and neighbours when they had to call off their La Rioja wedding. Luckily, a couple of their friends who live on the same street in Arnedo, took the matter into their own hands. They decided to mobilise the neighbourhood and organised a surprise wedding, sending a big box to their home on the morning of the big day with a bridal bouquet, a tutu, a top hat and a bow tie. As the box was delivered they heard a cacophony of noise outside and watched as hundreds of neighbours filled their own balconies with balloons and banners with the couples’ faces on them. Even the mayor of the town was able to make it and stood on the street, with an impromptu sound system. Visibly moved, the couple said ‘I do’ and married in front of all their neighbours. The ‘newlyweds’ will have an official ceremony when the pandemic is over. Death won’t us part! ACCUSED: ‘Covid’ Coral

AN elderly couple married for 65 years have made a complete recovery from Coronavirus. The pair, both 88, were hospitalised after falling ill just days after celebrating their auspicious anniversary with their seven children. After two weeks in hospital - both on different floors - the

couple Jose Prieto and Guadalupe Matas, from Castilla la Mancha, were discharged having made a full recovery. According to a doctor, Guadalupe refused to be discharged until her husband had made a full recovery too. They were released from the hospital together to rapturous applause and posed the following day from the balcony of their home.