Postcard From Tenerife
We’re publishing a new postcard today, this one from reader Peter Bell in Tenerife. Sounds like the island paradise is on its way back to normal, but not quite there yet. Here is an extract:
In Tenerife, the mask mandate was mixed. We had viewed a website that stated that in Spain masks were required outdoors as well as inside. This, we are glad to say, was not the case. In the street, probably at least three-quarters of the population were not wearing masks; whereas in shops, everyone was. Quite obviously, the Spanish variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is intelligent enough to know where to strike. The hotel reception staff took exception to a bandanna-type face covering, which had been quite acceptable at our GP surgery in the U.K. the day before, because it wasn’t an “official” mask. The website had further stated that so-called “Vaccination Certificates” would be needed before entering a bar or restaurant, and indeed most establishments did have a notice displayed on the subject. However, in the resort, in 11 days of eating and drinking out, we were never once asked to demonstrate our vaccination status. The staff just seemed genuinely pleased to see customers and had no objection to shaking hands, or even exchanging hugs, with their regulars.
Worth reading in full.
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Perhaps an “official” mask has to be made in China.
Some parts of China produce more cost effective masks than others apparently (early reports from NHS mask buyers).
Or the local supply contract went to the correct politician’s brother-in-law.
I’m sorry, but it still sounds hellish, especially the airport and flight bit. And then assorted rules on / enforcement of masks when you are at you destination, plus the Covipass….no thank you!
Back in 2019, would anyone have dreamed that to go abroad, a traveller would need to have accepted a particular medical treatment and be able to prove it, have a stick stuck up his or her nose before going, and wear a cloth over his or her face while in transit and again at the destination? If I’d told you that, people would not have believed me, or would have boldly said “no thanks, mate”.
The only way to stop all this nonsensical security theatre is to not join in with it. I will forego any trips abroad because of it. I regret some places, but it’s more important to me that I don’t support it by complying with it. And I certainly won’t risk my health by taking a jab just for 2 weeks abroad wearing a mask!
Imagine similar rules regarding HIV/AIDS were followed on entering say LGBTQWERTYBBQ areas?
I think MP’s would be aghast.
I think most people would be. No doubt they’d call it discrimination. Ditto if entry was based on race, religion, colour, age, sex or disability.
But acceptance or refusal of a jab? Or wearing a piece of paper or cloth across your face? Step right this way, you righteous be-masked and jabbed, begone you apostates who don’t have either!
Agree wholeheartedly.
Me neither.
In Spain they were requesting people wear them on the beach in the heat wave. I would not go because I know I’d end up in jail out there. Bronson style!
No way is a holiday anywhere worth accepting the risk of getting spiked. A test I might accept, but my decision to refuse spiking has already been taken: no means no, my body is my own, and if physical resistance becomes necessary then that’s how it’s going to be.
Pedantic footnote: you mean “forgo”; “forego” is a different word.
Absolutely with you 100% – pre-covid I would usually fly to Spain two/three times a year – haven’t been there since the jab mandates etc and won’t going back there every again untli this insane nonsense has ended.
I’ll take my money elsewhere.
Me too but I have a son living there permanently who I won’t be seeing unless he comes back to the UK for a visit. I feel sad about that but that’s the way it is.
Agree totally but there are many who would have extra vaccines if required because it’s very, very important to go abroad on holiday. Social standing requires it for a lot of people.
Triple jabbed to get the Spanish entry QR code? Only if you have had the second jab over 270 days before entry. But you can enter just with kebab stick within 24 hours ( ie day before flight) for antigen.
Canary islands have different graded ‘risks’. Tenerife is currently grade 4 which is next to highest, Lanzarote is grade 2. These ‘grades’ have stupid rules about times nightclubs can close and how many people can sit at tables in restaurants. Here on Lanzarote no-one takes any notice of them. No-one anywhere uses a covid pass here.
It is true that the remaining real issue is the overwhelming use of face nappies in shops. This is perpetuated by the shoppers as much as anything else, although some shop operators/owners are paranoid about visits from the Police enforcing their use. This is a continuing result of very heavy policing when this all kicked off 2 years ago.
There is I think a move within certain EU countries to coordinate a removal of most restrictions by mid-March, determined by the slowest movers ( ie France, Germany, Italy). I think the Spanish are generally sick of it all now.
And the fact that some people have no spine.
I don’t think France will ever lose any of them – not before the election at any rate and possibly not while Macron is in charge – he just loves the control and the chance to stamp on the populace.
But Macron will expect the French people to go and fight for ‘freedom’.
The EU isn’t abandoning the EU digital covid certification in a hurry. Current regs are due to expire 30 June 22 – they are looking at a 12 month extension ie to keep it on ‘the books’. It says Union citizens but no doubt they’ll expect similar certification from others. ”…it cannot be excluded that Member States continue to require Union citizens exercising their right to free movement to present proof of COVID-19 vaccination, test or recovery beyond 30 June 2022, the date when Regulation (EU) 2021/953 is set to expire. It is thus important to avoid that, in the event that certain restrictions to free movement based on public health are still in place after 30 June 2022, Union citizens and their family members are deprived of the possibility to make use of their EU Digital COVID Certificates, which are an effective, secure and privacy-preserving way of proving one’s COVID-19 status. At the same time, given that any restrictions to the free movement of persons within the Union put in place to limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2, including the requirement to present EU Digital COVID Certificates, should be lifted as soon as the epidemiological situation allows, the extension of… Read more »
As someone who owns an apartment in Gran Canaria, we are unable to visit because neither me nor the wife have had any jabs. You can stick your pina coladas up your arse – I won’t go there until the ridiculous jab rules are completely and irrevocably dropped.
The abuse of a Pina Colada is banned under the house rules
Better than being caught in the rain!
You can just have an antigen test the day before you fly. Not warranted I know, but far better than jabs. No covid vax pass requirements once you’re here, no-one asks for them.
Get some sun!
“It’s just…”
Sorry, but the only way is to carry on as nearly normal as possible. Not hide away grumbling and not moving out until somehow it all goes away. Its not going to go away. In little ways we can change things by just living our lives as we want to. Mrs Peyrole and myself and been half way round the world , twice over the last two years, because we decided we wanted to, and ‘they’ were not going to stop us. So far its ‘cost’ us 5 kebab sticks, which I agree is an imposition we hate, and yes places still have face nappy impositions in shops, but compared to staying in prison-state France its nirvana.
Current guidance is fully jabbed or recovered from within the last 6 months. I know, because I keep checking in the vain hope we might eventually get there again.
Im in Tenerife at this precise moment and have not been jabbed. A negative antigen test within 24 hours of travelling will suffice. Get yourself over the weather is marvellous. Although the mask wearing indoors is a pain.
I will not be travelling to any destination where masks are still in use.
Those lovely Russian whores are tempting, the ones stood outside are usually trogs. but as mentioned, the masks put a dampener on most interactions.
See link, its not ‘guidance’ its the official Spanish website.
Negative antigen test the day before your flight is all that is required.
https://www.sanidad.gob.es/en/profesionales/saludPublica/ccayes/alertasActual/nCov/spth.htm
OK, so what justification for a down tick for a post which merely links to a factual government site for information purposes only? Whoever you are, you need help.
UK classed as a third country
Unless you hold an EU passport
fake a positive PCR test (fruit juice) and you get a “recovered from COVID” certificate good for 90 days which is now accepted as entry proof for purebloods.
Rinse and repeat as required.
Any fruit juice do or are some more guaranteed than others to get the right result? I only have apple juice to hand at moment but might be able to dig up a bottle of coke if that would do. I’m being deadly serious here – any workaround is a two fingered salute to the rules.
You mean an LFT/RAT? you can easily register a negative one with the NHS app but this isnt accepted for travel
This is probably the worst outcome.
An assumption that the interventions work, a legal mandate to continue with some of them, but widespread non-compliance.
The trouble is this is the land of ‘no inconvenience‘ — Everyone says that the new system is fine; no-one complains about how it is burdensome. The new rules are simultaneously both oppressive and invisible. Of course you’ll carry a regulation facemask, just you won’t wear it; of course you’ll have your vaccine certificate at the ready, only you won’t be asked for it. A whole new normal that has oppression just below the surface.
If the mandates were to be policed people would ask questions, but without enforcement people will be content to move on, leaving the questions unasked.
What we should be doing is asking serious questions about what worked and what didn’t. Instead we’re rapidly moving towards a world where of course everything worked.
That’s a good point. Not whether it is enforced, but to have people prepared to comply anyway. Like keeping a mask in your pocket “just in case”.
The tyranny is implied, but there all the same.
Once people do that without thinking, what else can they be made to do?
Or the rules are only enforced on people who ‘wrongthink’ everyone else gets a free ride for being good
It’s not oppression…until it is.
Absolutely spot on analysis. Far too many people will remain prepared to comply with any Day-Glo Derek who barks “Muzzle!” or “Medical status!” at them.
“I mean, it’s all bollocks, innit, but its not worth arguing about. It’s just…”
Absolutely agree. The looks I get when I fulminate about this whole fiasco are depressing. Typical response is: ‘Oh, it’s not so bad. And it’s for the best, isn’t it?’
When I point out that they’ve had both jabs and Covid while I’ve had neither, it’s as if I’ve sold all our secrets to the Russians for the last several decades and they’re all rather disappointed in me.
I despair they’ll ever recover.
I do not wear a face covering, full stop. So do let me know when it is 100% optional, 100% of the time. Until then I will take my cash elsewhere.
Hopefully the more people who don’t maskwear, then the more the people that do do it will cop on and stop of their own volition.
I have heard it said that the pointlessness of it all is the whole idea.
To show that the state has complete control over you, it can make you undertake illogical actions. If you comply, that shows that they have broken you and you will obey – no matter what…
I think that’s right, and it is working. I know so many people who automatically don a mask when going into shops…anywhere inside. I’ve seen people pausing outside to put the mask on, and I get the strong impression that it’s now a reflex action.
They’re not even thinking about it any more.
On the plus side, there are more and more free faces. But if the government rang the bell, would they react like Pavlov’s dogs and whip out the mask again?
I have to admit I gave in once to the pressure to comply … not to wear a mask … but I thought wearing sandals and not wearing a mask might be a bit much … so I put on shoes.
An experience I had on holiday in Tenerife back in 2012 was Hotel Best, they had different clothing requirements at different times of day. I know they have that in many places but you’re on holiday, they shouldn’t be dictating what you choose to wear. I went down to the restaurant in a vest to have some old geeza give me a funny look before I realised, not long after a girl politely reminded me of the Dres code.
Yes, they would whip out the mask again. That was proved when the mandate was reimposed. I suddenly became the only unmasked filth in supermarkets again.
Yeah, just like me.
But I thought, s*d it, stare and glare all you want, you maskies; at least I can breathe!
I’ve see that too – after 2 years now it looks like being a habit.
Apparently it only take 21 days for something new that you do to become a habit – so what does 2 years do?
good point! highly likely – so those that don’t comply are being marked out as not broken then and still need to be cracked
Sounds repulsive – the opposite of a holiday. Wondering when you’re going to get badgered to prove your covid status. They can jog on.
I could live with that provided there was CHOICE
Some bars/cafes display signs “Children welcome”, best avoided IMHO.
Or “dog friendly”. I don’t have a dog but it indicates open minded owners.
Or “no loud noises or singing, we care for our neighbours” Depends what mood I’m in.
Or “BOLLOX TO COVID”.
Yes I would go along with that. Workable with places that have a wide variety of establishments providing a given service, harder for things that have an effective monopoly e.g. local leisure centre.
At least the poor Dog is not in Canada!
Not going to play their games
Not going to give them my money
Went to Skye a couple of weeks back. They’re still a bit backward, the big supermarket was OK, but some smaller places did ask, but they didn’t enforce it. Except one silly Lady in town of Uig … and I had great delight in just telling her I was leaving the store and never going back. There’s no point arguing, no point making a fuss … and then putting a mask on. Just leave and don’t come back.
“Just leave, tell them why, then don’t come back”.
I’ve done this several some since the day masks were supposedly enforced in shops.
You’ve handed them another, granted easy and insignificant, victory just by getting us talking about wearing masks again.
DS Headline yesterday announced that anti Covid measures in NHS and Healthcare settings were being abandoned, surprisingly quickly but
A. As reported. I read that while in hospital for a day case procedure yesterday. I was not required to wear a mask as staff wheelchaired me to the treatment area nor during the procedure itself; everyone else was though.
B. Overhearing NHS Staff ‘gossip’ it is clear that they expect wearing masks to go on “for ever”.
Overhearing NHS Staff ‘gossip’ it is clear that they expect sending wasted money to china to go on “for ever”.
Doubt if the russkies will be holidaying anywhere near the Med this summer (yes, I know T is not in the Med)
People across Europe poorer as a result inflation etc, will they be holidaying abroad less?
Once these countries realise the power is returning to the customer they will soon change their tune
In the meantime Bloody Bognor it is
What are channel islands doing?? as matter of interest?
“Sounds like the island paradise is on its way back to normal, but not quite there yet.” I would say it is still a long way from normal. The plane being nearly full might be good news for the carrier and the economy but it is not good news for us true sceptics as it would seem more and more people are prepared to go along with the covid theatre as a ‘small price to pay’ to be able to get away.
I’ve got not very well parents in Spain so ideally should go out with the children to see them. But don’t want to buy into all the nonsense, I’ve had it so could probably travel with proof but the point is I shouldn’t have to prove anything. My siblings think I’m being stubborn and have told me that I should get jabbed, I told my triple jabbed brother that there’s no chance, on health grounds (I hope that made him think). I guess they’re starting to think I’m a conspiracy nut. I’ve told them I just don’t like being lied to.
In regards to conspiracy, if you all want a good laugh listen to Death by Conspiracy if you can stomach it. It’s a BBC podcast by their Disinformation correspondent. I do have some skin in the game because I’m a Salopian. But sometimes you have to get into bed with enemy.
Indeed, health grounds it is. I then tell some spikee types that I take a lot of care to keep my immune system strong. Sometimes I even spend 15 seconds telling them the basics of how to do it. Many don’t even have the phrase “immune system” in their active vocabulary. They don’t understand lergy. Or lifestyle. They don’t want to think. They only want to do what they’re told, being too scared not to. Advertisers and experts and Google wouldn’t lie to them.
They will be total suckers when the time comes for the NEXT turn of the ratchet, which will involve oppressions that most people now, even after everything that’s happened since 2020, would think were batsh*t loony predictions.
Yup like Gymstradamus!
Couldn’t agree more Star!
I have a relative – triple jabbed – very bad reaction to last jab and second bout of “covid” after it – first bout of covid after first jab was lengthy and quite severe.
Morbidly obese, eats a lot of what Gillian McKeith would call “beige foods” (and I happen to think that she is right about that) regards vegetables as a dirty word, bulk of diet is processed food etc etc. Regards me as total conspiracy theorist – BUT – I am unjabbed, never tested and haven’t caught covid [since March 2020]
However, he did say recently that he didn’t intend to have any more jabs – here’s hoping he sticks to that pronouncement.
I will be spending the summer in Fivererife
No masks, no jabs and only 30p for a kebab and cider combo
Downtick 30p for cider and kebab? Vlad are you mad?
He might have a bad dose of “trigger finger” today Cecil
Macron said today that mask and “vaccine” mandates will be lifted in France on 14 March. Tomorrow is the last day for filing his candidacy papers for re-election.
He has yet to explain how France staying as a British-style lackey of the USA in NATO will be good for living standards in France, not even before mushroom clouds start appearing.
does that mean he is abandoning the vax pass?
“because it wasn’t an “official” mask.”
No the official one has Titanium Hydroxide on them!
What if the person you are sitting next to has just had their booster and they are shedding it all over the show. I’ve had two doses of this disease and neither were particularly bad. The altitude sickness was actually quite pleasant in some circumstances. But it wrecked the soft palate of my mouth. It is like a war zone. Grasp the nettle and understand the pathogen no matter how small.
Where is the News Round-up section that always appears below the last article ie this one?
I’m in mainland Spain on holiday atm unvaccinated. I was allowed entry from the UK because I hold an Irish passport. (anyone travelling with me could also have entered unvaccinated). Obviously this has more to do with Brexit than covid. I also had to have an LFT test although the certificate wasn’t checked anywhere. PLF QR code was scanned at Alicante airport.
Most not wearing masks outside or in bars, except for the poor staff. Shops are strict and you are immediately confronted. No covid passport notices anywhere.
I live in Germany (moved here just over 7 years ago). I have just booked a flight to the UK to see family. For the partiality vaxxed and the unvaxxed it’s a pcr test 48 hours before travel and another pcr test up to 2 days after arrival. So that 79.90 euros for the first one and £49 for the second one and the completion of a PLF
The fully vaxxed still need to fill in a PLF. Given that they can still pass on the virus the same as the unvaxxed maybe they should have to have the tests as well. Someone must be making a lot of money out of this farce