WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED! The
OLIVE PRESS
COSTA BLANCA SUR / MURCIA FREE
Your expat
voice in Spain
Vol. 1 Issue 10 www.theolivepress.es March 19th - April 1st, 2020
Olive Press online YOUR ONLINE PORTAL TO TRUST
It has been the fastest moving story in our 14 years of publishing... and we have hardly stopped to draw breath. Over a MILLION people have visited our site over the last few days thanks to our coverage of the coronavirus online with hourly updates throughout globally the weekend.
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SIMPLE MESSAGE: Sunbed orders to tourists in Benidorm to stay indoors for two weeks and (right) British expats taking precautions with rubber gloves EMPTY streets, trucks of soldiers and border closures. This past week has left Spain looking like the set of a post-apocalyptic thriller. With the country’s coronavirus cases nearing 15,000, it is at least comforting to know decisive action is being taken by the government. Amid the lockdown, acts of heart-warming humanity have also shone through, with residents coming out on their balconies and erupting in applause to show appreciation for doctors working around the clock to battle the virus. Others meanwhile prepared food for the most vulnerable, while Chinese residents in Cordoba donated thousands of masks and medicines. Elsewhere, people walked fake dogs and rented others out, while one man risked the wrath of the police taking out the rubbish in a T-rex costume. Meanwhile, a raft of famous faces, including Antonio Banderas, Messi and Ricky Martin, joined an urgent nationwide appeal for residents to stay at home. And it seems to have worked as streets nationwide have stayed empty with around 99% of non-urgent journeys and outings curtailed. Incredibly, between Tuesday and yesterday evening, Alicante province registered no new cases of Coronavirus. The total cases in the Valencian Community remain 541, with 13 deaths so far, with the lockdown seemingly having an effect. The massive clampdown on free movement, not seen since the Spanish Civil War, is already thought to be helping in the vital effort to stop the rapid infection rate of the COVID-19 virus. With all restaurants, cinemas, shops and most
Civil war Expats join locals in huge (and good humoured) battle to beat covid-19 pandemic
other businesses shut, there is - to be fair almost nowhere to go. Unless of course you’re on holiday in Benidorm, where police arrested tourists drinking on terraces outside closed bars with drinks bought from supermarkets. This message of civil responsibility was driven home by Benidorm’s local police, who spelt out the words ‘stay at home’ on Playa Levante using sunbeds. The calm however is concealing economic damage that could last for a long time still.
The British owner of the Costa Blanca’s largest transport firm, Alicante Transfers, told the Olive Press the industry is in ‘meltdown’. “We’ve lost tens of thousands in cancellations, while trying to keep everyone calm and giving the right information to those stuck here – it’s a nightmare,” Dave McQueen added. The virus will be contained. But how far the infection spreads into society awaits to be seen. Crisis special, p2-7
It is, of # 171 course, a horrorshow for all of # 239 us with businesses in tourism, retail or catering. But we are all in the same boat and now you are all stuck at home, trying to stay healthy, we are working even harder to ensure we keep you up to date on the latest news from around the country. News on the spread of the virus, what you can and cannot do, and plenty of ideas on how to get by at home. Remember with the Olive Press online you are not alone. It is not for nothing we are now in the world’s top 10,000 most visited websites (see above) and in the top 250 in the UK and Spain. Our team of over a dozen writers are out and about making sure you are abreast of everything you need to know... visit:
www.theolivepress.es