ARCHIVED - Murcia and Spanish news round-up week ending 28th February 2020

Another air force plane crashes into the sea off La Manga as the coronavirus scare escalates in Spain

The sun is shining, the sky is blue and temperatures have been up into the high twenties in the Costa Cálida during the last week of February, but unfortunately any summary of the news in Murcia this week is dominated by the escalating number of coronavirus cases being reported in Spain and the tragic death of an air force pilot on Thursday when his jet plummeted into the Mediterranean off the coast of La Manga.

This was the second such incident involving a C-101 jet in the last six months, and the third involving planes based at the Air Force Academy in San Javier in the same period. The latest incident occurred just before 16.00 on Thursday and the 38-year-old pilot, a member of the Patrulla Águila air display team who was married with three children, was killed instantly, not having had time to activate his ejector seat.

The accident took place close to the scene of the first tragedy to strike the air academy in August 2019 when pilot Francisco Marín, also piloting a C-101, crashed into the waters off the coast of La Manga del Mar Menor during a training exercise. Commander Eduardo Fermín Garvalena, the victim on Thursday, had substituted Commander Marín in the Patrulla Águila aerobatics team, flying as "Eagle 5" and having accumulated more than 2,300 hours of flying time during his career.

Much of the plane was found after a short search but it was not until Friday morning that the body of the pilot was retrieved, and in the light of the incident there are bound to be questions asked over the continued use of the C-101 pending the delivery of replacement aircraft which were ordered last year. The C-101 has been in use at San Javier for 40 years and has become a common sight in the sky above the Mar Menor and the east of the Region of Murcia, and is to be phased out gradually by the Swiss-manufactured Pilatus PC-21, a turboprop plane rather than a jet.

The Defence Minister confirmed that all three accidents are being investigated by the independent body CITAAM, the commission for technical investigation of military accidents and the results alone would confirm the cause of the accidents; now, she said, was a time for solidarity with the families of the victims and speculation about the causes of the accidents "doesn´t help."

Elsewhere, there is non-stop coverage in the Spanish press of the mushrooming figures regarding the spread of coronavirus cases, with 33 (at 15:39 on Friday afternoon) having been confirmed since last weekend. At least three of the patients contracted the virus in Spain rather than during trips to northern Italy and other hotspot areas, and all over the country regional health services are adopting measures designed to contain the virus which has already killed almost 3,000 people worldwide.

The country remains on the lowest of the three alert levels for epidemics, that of “containment”, and so far this has led to the universal testing of patients admitted to hospital with pneumonia to check whether they are affected by the coronavirus, special protocols being established for hotels and airports in the case of emergencies and strenuous efforts to trace, test and, if necessary, isolate all of those who have come into contact with patients who test positive.

The Region of Murcia has a relatively low risk of coronavirus contagion, according to regional government minister Manuel Villegas, and since last weekend 22 people have been tested for the coronavirus in the Region, all of them proving negative. So common have the tests become in just a few days that hardly any attention is paid to them any more, a far cry from the situation last weekend when the first suspicious cases emerged!

But as panic buying takes hold the shortage of facemasks has become so acute that health professionals in the Arrixaca and Reina Sofía hospitals in Murcia report that stocks are running out, while online sale prices have been raised from around 2 euros to 60 euros by those attempting to cash in on the escalation of the epidemic. In Cartagena this week Italian cruise ship visitors sparked a rush on pharmacies which saw stocks disappear a within an hour!

However, Sr Villegas reiterates the advice given by the World Health Organization, which is that the masks do not provide efficient protection against infection and that they must be worn only by patients who are already ill, and by medical professionals. “It is not useful for people to wear facemasks in the street”, the minister insists. At the same time, the health authorities do agree that frequent hand-washing is recommendable, especially after frequenting public places, and while they continue to call for calm the bulk buying of disinfectant gels has left supermarket shelves empty of these products in many places.

The latest in Murcia is that possible coronavirus patients in Murcia are advised to ring the 112 line rather than going to A&E in order to minimize the risk of the highly contagious virus being spread further within hospitals, with the caveat that if a patient is clearly in serious condition then of course the recommendation should be disregarded and hospital treatment should be sought immediately, and that the regional government has opened a free telephone line to deal with questions or doubts related to the epidemic in an effort to reassure members of the public (the 900 121212 line is exclusively dedicated to answering questions of this nature).

In addition, looking further ahead, the potential consequences for the economy and, in particular, the tourism sector, are already being felt. Stock exchange indexes around the world have been dropping as international trade and production facilities are hit; around 10 per cent has been wiped off the value of IBEX-35 shares in Madrid since Monday – although in the Costa Cálida some sources report that coronavirus is not so much of a worry for the tourism sector. Jesús Jiménez of the Hostemur federation stated on Thursday that “tourism in the Region faces a virus more dangerous than Covid-19”, referring to the condition of the Mar Menor!

In the Canaries, though, the coronavirus could have a more immediate effect on tourism. Many of the 1,000 or so people who have been held in quarantine in their Tenerife hotel this week could be allowed home over the next couple of days, but throughout the Costas there is a worry that the “fear factor” could prove to be even more contagious than Covid-19 itself, and that visitor numbers could take a severe hit this summer if, as appears probable, the number of cases in Spain continues to increase.

Certainly it has been interesting to observe the questions starting to appear on social media from travellers with accommodation and flights already booked for the next few weeks, in not only Murcia but other areas of Spain. The Valencia Region already has several confirmed cases of Covid-19 and following the problems in Tenerife questions such as "I have a hotel booked in Benidorm from 7th March, is it safe over there???" are starting to appear, with few respondees able to give any clear information about whether there will be any cases in that area by that date.

Other areas of Spain are less concerned about expressing their fears, and the Andalucian government was certainly not shy this morning in expressing its concerns about the potential effects fear of the virus could have on tourism this year.

The Mar Menor

In the light of the events of the last few days the on-going concern over the marine environment of the Mar Menor has understandably taken something of a back seat, but that is not to say by any means that the issue has been forgotten.

The regional government published the results of the latest tests on Tuesday, concluding that in terms of the levels of faecal bacteria (Enterococos intestinalis and Escherichia coli) the lagoon remains completely safe for bathing “in relation to the parameters analysed”. But the main problem at the moment for potential bathers, and hence for the tourism sector in and around the Mar Menor, is that rising temperatures are fuelling the growth of green algae in some parts of the lagoon, Lo Pagán being the obvious example.

At present most of the rest of the shoreline remains in acceptable condition, and the beaches themselves, along with seafront walks and other infrastructures, are being fully restored following the storms of the winter (it must be remembered that the lagoon covers 170 square kilometres and many areas are currently unaffected by the bloom in Lo Pagán.)

Once again, the week’s news has featured many important people talking about the need to take action but little in the way of action being taken. Ana Belén Castejón, the Mayoress of Cartagena, demanded urgent action in the Mar Menor, stating that clearly “something is going wrong” as she has no doubt that the national and regional government want to act but no real action is being taken, while at the same time pointing out that the efforts of the Town Hall have helped to clear 175 tons of seaweed and waste from the beaches.

In response to this, Antonio Luengo reiterated that in his view the national government is firmly to blame, reiterating that the regional government has set aside 56 million euros for projects relating to the Mar Menor as work continues to resolve the long-term issues faced by the lagoon.

Later in the week, on the other hand, José Vélez, the central government delegate to Murcia, disputed this during a visit to Los Alcázares. While asking for patience on the part of the residents of Los Alcázares and other Mar Menor towns with regard to the subsidies promised after the storm damage last autumn, Sr Vélez highlighted the repairs already made to infrastructures such as seafront walks and beach accesses, and alleged that in order for action to be taken to prevent runoff water reaching the sea via the Rambla del Albujón – a major source of harmful nutrients - authorization has to be granted by the Murcia government.

During his visit Sr Vélez also promised that authorization will be given to install the long-awaited bathing stations along the inland shore of the lagoon as soon as possible, although on this issue the residents are already planning another protest as completion of the jetties was first promised in late 2018. Before that demonstration, another sit-in protest is planned this Sunday at the beach of Villananitos to demand protection measures for the Mar Menor.

Elsewhere, as if the marine flora and fauna of the Mar Menor were not facing enough problems at present, it appears that one of the species most under threat is also having to contend with the unwanted attentions of vandals. The species concerned is Pinna nobilis, known in English as the fan mussel or giant fan mussel, which is known to have existed in the Mediterranean for 5 million years, but in the last four years or so it has been limited almost exclusively to the Mar Menor after being infested with a parasite.

Unfortunately, though, government vigilance appears not to be sufficient to guard against people taking premeditated and utterly incomprehensible steps to remove the molluscs, and over the last week numerous specimens have been damaged, knocked down and hidden underneath rocks.

Obviously, this situation continues to be ongoing and is likely to remain at the forefront of the news as the tourist season approaches.

But it's not all doom and gloom and in Los Alcázares the party WILL GO ON!!!!!! Marauding Berber pirates will once again attack the defenceless fisherfolk of the municipality over Easter weekend, and in spite of the destruction of their normal encampment site, the opposing sides will simply move to another location, with adjustments to the mediaeval market and parade.

And this weekend there are still plenty of chances to enjoy Carnival!!!! Visitors to Águilas on Saturday evening can look forward to seeing visiting star of the show Donald Trump in the parade, and the main parades of the Mar Menor take place this weekend.(see the What's on weekly bulletin)

Other items in the news this week

Amazon plant in Corvera to contract the services of 200 drivers: the  new logistics plant is expected to open at the end of summer 2020 and is currently under construction.

Murcia Masons make lifechanging donation to Los Arcos hospital. Expat Celia found herself facing 16 weeks confined to a hospital bed when her immune system attacked her nervous system after treatment for lung cancer. Her world was turned upside-down and the use of one of these plastic bathing chairs helped her regain self-esteem and cope with her unexpected change in circumstances. Learning that the hospital had only TWO of these chairs, she contacted the Masons, and they responded with a generous donation for the hospital . 

10,000-euro fines for possessing cannabis in Yecla overturned by Murcia courts: A judge rules that Yecla Town Hall was not empowered to impose such strict punishments last year.

Misery for allergy suffers as gota fría storms cause record pine pollen levels in Murcia: the yellow dust is more than a nuisance for an increasing number of allergy sufferers…but help is at hand as Murcian has some of the best allergy treatment facilities in Spain.

Spanish government considers raising tobacco and cigarette taxes: on the other hand, VAT could be reduced on feminine hygiene products and veterinary services.

Vegetation cleared in Los Urrutias to minimize the risk of mosquito plagues this spring: Cartagena Town Hall takes steps to reduce the risk of a repeat of the problems of last year.

Cartagena police recover handbag containing 10,500 euros: the bag was stolen in the streets of Cartagena in the early hours of Sunday morning, but no explanation has been offered as to why the victim was carrying such a large amount of money in her bag and taking so few precautions against it being stolen!

Canary Islands cut off by severe Saharan dust storm: people were confined to their homes last weekend by winds of up to 160 km/h as the air turned yellow and tourists stranded by cancelled flights. Readers were also amongst those stranded as a bargain early season break turned into a bit of a nightmare.

Active Civil War bombs still being found all over the Region of Murcia: the Guardia Civil reiterate their warnings to those who stumble across explosive devices: DON’T TOUCH and REPORT THEM TO THE AUTHORITIES! Above all, DON¨T put them in the boot and drive them down to the nearest police station!

Lorca Town Hall unanimously opposes plans for huge fish farm: all parties unite in opposition to the mega-project just off the beaches of Calnegre which has also upset local councillors in Águilas and Mazarrón.

Vandals deface Nazi concentration camp memorial in Águilas: far-right groups are blamed as the Garden of Memory in Águilas is targeted for the second time in three months.

Murcia ban on cheap unmanned petrol stations overruled by the EU: a decision made in Brussels rules that consumers should have the right to choose! Cheap petrol it is then!!!!

Cartagena Town Hall responds quickly after building collapses in the city centre: none injured but Calle Cuatro Santos remains closed off to pedestrians as frail old buildings give way.

State pensions in Murcia among the lowest in Spain: the average State pension in the Region is 887.42 euros per month. Read the article if you are amongst those who work here in the region, as all of us paying our social security here should take a "healthcheck" of our financial situation ahead of Brexit.

Major Águilas agriculture company finally enters liquidation: Agrasa has been one of the leading employers in Águilas for decades but its 481 staff have been made redundant. Recently a similar fate has awaited several other agricultural companies, a combination of low market prices, water shortages, drought and fears over Brexit all contributing to issues for the agricultural sector. This week protestors brought the capital city to a halt as tractors packed into the streets.

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