Mallorca 2021

Firstly I’ve changed the name of the blog to Dad Taxi Mallorca for which I’m better known.
I think we’re all glad to see the back of 2020 and hoping that 2021 brings us all health, happiness and a return to some kind of pre-pandemic normality. At the moment the cases here aren’t dropping as we are seeing the fallout from people being allowed to travel through the Constitution Day and the day of the immaculate conception holidays on the 6th and 8th of December. 

The problems we are now seeing are for me solely down to the dithering of the Government here. Since the March lockdown we have lurched from crisis to crisis without coming up with a plan to get the island moving again. I’ve said it before but a coalition Government never works for the people, it works for its own good. A year into governing and three years before the next elections it’s time for the this Government to step up. I don’t know why they’re against making tough decisions but if a lockdown was going to be announced then surely it should have been done before now. For me they’ve worried more about their own popularity than making decisions that will get the island’s economy moving again. What matters more, families enjoying this Christmas, New Year and Three Kings celebrations? Or the islands back working again so that families can enjoy future Christmas, New Year and Three Kings celebrations? The latter is what I chose for me and my family at the beginning of December and it’s a choice that should have been made not by me but for us by the Government. Nobody likes being told what to do especially when it affects our daily lives but we’ve sort of got used to it over the last few months. So another few hard weeks in return for more years of prosperity wouldn’t for me have been a difficult decision. 

Would this have prevented the situation we’re in right now? Who knows, but it certainly wouldn’t have been this bad. At the moment we’re in a curfew situation, the next would be local lockdowns, then closing the airport and ports and finally a full lockdown. 

I can’t remember how long the Government here were talking about the safe corridors to the UK but right now we are in a situation that those who return will be subject to a 10-day quarantine, which can be shortened to five through the UK government’s test to release scheme. Still not encouraging enough to book a holiday here. 

PCR tests are now obligatory but currently are more expensive than the flights, the Anti-Gen tests are cheaper but don’t detect just Covid but if it’s negative then you can’t enter. It’s a scheme that’s working in the Canaries. 

Finally PCR became obligatory for all passengers arriving on the island just before Christmas. But I’ve been told by more than one person that everyone is not being checked. Now it can’t be down to lack of staff surely? There’s enough people unemployed or on the ERTE who I’m sure would be glad of some work right now. What hope have we got when we can’t check everyone coming in now when the airport is at its least busiest? God help us when we get to Summer. 

Summer, yes that all important word. That needs to be the goal from now and if difficult decisions need to be taken, can we please get on with it. 

In order for people to book a holiday here, they need to see that we are getting our house in order to welcome them back. Of course the vaccine will help but that is just getting off of the ground and will take time. Therefore we all will need to follow the same guidelines for the foreseeable future to get those numbers down. We’ve done it before and we can do It again. 

May I take this opportunity to wish you a happy, healthy and pandemic free new year. 

Take care everyone and enjoy your weekend! 

Richie presents the Radio One Mallorca Breakfast show Monday to Friday 07.30-11.00am on 93.8fm in Mallorca and 102fm in Calvià, online at www.radioonemallorca.com on mobile through their free App for IPhone & Android, The Tunein Radio App, iTunes, the Spanish TDT TV service and all smart speakers. If you can’t hear him on the radio then you’ll find him working at Pirates Adventure the islands number one night out and every now and again he may make an understudy appearance! 

Follow him on Twitter @DadTaxi1 & Instagram @dad.taxi or feel free to email him at rprior@globobalear.com