Are you surprised that Spain and more importantly to us the Balearic Islands didn’t make it onto the Uk Green list? Well I wasn’t. I’m saying this as I’ve written it before the list was announced so I don’t know. But if the leaks are to believed, there will be eight countries on the list and they are, Jamaica, Israel, Malta, Gibraltar, Barbados, Portugal, Morocco and Grenada.
So let’s try and look at this logically. I see it as a test and if they’re going to do a test the risks must be minimal. Airports have been working on minimum passenger numbers since the pandemic hit and staff have been furloughed, Airlines haven’t flown the majority of their fleets in over a year and pilots and crew are not up to speed. So it will take time and I think that’s what the Government wants. None of those destinations are seen as the most popular with the exception possibly of Portugal so I’m sure holiday makers may hold off until the next round of country announcements are made, which is the end of June. Also if countries such as Spain, Turkey and Greece were put on green it would put an enormous strain on everything and they may well not be able to cope.
Let’s remember though that if we are in amber people can still come here, albeit from the beginning of June as the Spanish have stopped all non EU members and non Schengen countries from flying here. The problem also with being in amber is they will have to quarantine on their return for 10 days. You can also pay for a PCR test after five days and a negative result means you are free. So it shouldn’t be all doom and gloom. Now you know I’ve been critical of Balearic Government during this pandemic but in a way I think they are going about things the right way this time. It might not be right for everybody particularly for the hospitality industry but we can’t go all guns blazing and end up like we did last year closing down again.
If we are to go green by the end of June it gives us more time to get the infection rate down and improve our vaccination rates, as that is obviously what has let us down this time. What they must do is get the PR machine rolling out positive news. Right now all we’re hearing is that the state of alarm here is being extended and there will still be a curfew and a limit on opening times.
Shout it from the rooftops that by the time the UK is allowed to fly here we will be fully open for business!
After my blog last week about the cost of PCR tests it’s good to see Tui has secured a deal with a testing company to offer PCR Covid tests for its customers travelling to destinations on the government’s ‘green list’ from as little as £20.
Maria Antonia Font the Balearic General for Public Health said interestingly said this week that the Government is not ruling out having the much cheaper antigen tests instead of the more expensive PCR tests for port and airport controls.
Everybody I’m sure will remember that just before lockdown happened in the UK last year, there were two huge sporting events that probably should never have taken place. They were the Cheltenham Horse Racing Festival and the Champions League game between Liverpool and Atlético Madrid. This without doubt led to a huge surge in infections with people being so close to each other and travelling from different parts of the country and Europe.
Fast forward a year and you would have thought that we would have learnt our lesson wouldn’t you? Well after both Chelsea and Manchester City qualified for the Champions League final, all eyes were on the finals venue, Istanbul, Turkey. And here’s the hypocrisy of football & especially UEFA. In the last month they’ve told countries that can’t guarantee fans safety from COVID that they couldn’t host games at the Euros. Also after the debacle of the European Super League they came out and said football should be all about the fans. Sorry, where did you say the final was again? Istanbul, Turkey, a country that is currently in lockdown because of a serious rise in infection rates. In fact twelve times higher than the UK, with 370 new cases per million people announced the other day, compared to just 30 in the UK. Likewise, there were 31,200 more positive tests confirmed on Tuesday, alongside just 2,000 in the UK.
In Istanbul they’re allowing 25,000 fans they say but actually only 8,000 will be from Chelsea and Manchester City and the rest corporate and all the hangers on. Remember them saying it’s all about the fans?
Now sense would say swap it to the UK and avoid fans travelling to and from a country rife with COVID. But no say UEFA, so just two weeks after deriding the European Super League they’ve shown us what they really are, complete and utter clowns!
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
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