Date Published: 20/11/2021

Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin Nov 20

It’s turning into quite the wintery week across Spain with heavy rains and strong gusts indicating that the rest of November could well be a wash-out. But as usual, it’s more than just the wind causing waves as politicians continue to battle it out over everything from Covid to climate change and the DGT has announced a barrage of new measures to encourage drivers to take to foot off the pedal.

The change in the weather may not be the only thing keeping people out of the water following the news that a wildly popular tourist boat, the Catamaran Ole, sank a mile off the coast of Cartagena this week with all 33 passengers, including 6 children, on board. Thankfully nobody was injured beyond minor cuts and bruises but the news shook the seaside town as the popular craft has been taking both locals and holidaymakers on tours of the bay for almost a decade. Police divers inspected the scene and found no evidence that Catamaran Ole had collided with anything on the seabed and it was determined that the most likely cause was a freak factory defect which made the structure of the boat break, as the vessel had previously passed all technical inspections.

If boating isn’t your thing, how about a nice leisurely drive?

Driving in Spain

Those touring the country on four wheels may want to check their maps first, as a road in Murcia has been listed among the top five most dangerous stretches in Spain.

As the DGT aims to crack down on the number of serious accidents on the roads in this country, it would appear that the unflattering accolade of ‘boozed-up Brits’ should be handed over, as a whopping 14% of Spaniards have admitted to regularly getting behind the wheel after a tipple or ten.

Unsurprisingly, alcohol is involved in 48.7% of fatal road traffic accidents in Spain, and pedestrians aren’t off the hook either, as the number of incidents caused by drunk people on foot is steadily increasing.

For the 60% of people who swear to never touching a drop when driving, the traffic authorities have this week pointed out that some very common hand signals used by roadside cops are commonly misunderstood by motorists. Ignoring a traffic officer in Spain could land a driver in hot water as their presence takes priority over any traffic lights or road signals, and the hand gestures most commonly used (insert obvious joke here) are ones to indicate that a driver must either slow down or stop altogether.

As if drivers didn’t have enough to worry about, the DGT has announced that it will be installing 26 new cameras and drones to keep an eye on motorists as part of the Spanish Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030.

Lifestyle and money

This week has seen a bit of an upheaval for Bankia customers as many people took to social media to bemoan the fact they were unable to access their online accounts. No need to panic though, as the system was pulled down for a couple of days while the merger with CaixaBank was finalised. What the change does mean, however, is that most old Bankia customers will be automatically switched over to a new Day-to-Day account where fees and charges are reported to be minimal. For all other clients who don’t meet the criteria, though, annual fees will be increased to a hefty 240 euros, so it’s best to check with your branch.

From money in the bank to money in your pocket, the Spanish government is on a mission to ensure that baby boomers – those born between 1958 and 1977 – retire with good pensions by collecting a buffer fund of 41 billion euros by 2032. Where will the additional cash be coming from? You’ve guessed it: tax payers. In order to bulk up the state retirement fund, the government will have to increase monthly social security payments by salaried workers and the companies that employ them, in addition to the self-employed. Ultimately, contributions will increase by 0.5% for companies and 0.1% for staff from 2023 in order to refill the coffers.

For those hoping to transfer a pension from the UK to Spain the situation is a little more complex and it is advisable to seek the help of a professional financial advisor to facilitate the move.

Rising prices and increased charges mean that many people have less cash in their pockets so it might come as a surprise that air travel in the Region of Murcia is increasing in popularity and is actually approaching pre-pandemic levels. In fact, Corvera Airport reported that 48,581 travellers passed through its doors in October, even surpassing July’s figures. However, it is worth noting that this year’s figures are still 55% lower than those of 2019.

In terms of the number of people travelling through it, Corvera, officially named Region of Murcia International Airport, has grown by 343% since last year and is now ranked at number 25 on the national leader board.

And while international travel to Spain is predicted to take a bit of a dip in November and December, the experts are hopeful that flights this winter overall will creep somewhere closer to pre-health crisis levels. Turespaña has predicted that the country will welcome 19.1 million tourists by the end of January which is just 8.1% fewer than in 2019 and a rather impressive 374.2% more than the same period last year.

For older people bitten by the travel bug this winter, the good news is that subsidised Imserso trips for pensioners are making a comeback throughout Spain with bookings for January 2022 available from travel agents as of December 14 in Murcia. The budget holiday scheme, which offers cut-price vacations to over-60s during the low season, provides an invaluable boost to local economies during the quieter winter months, particularly for hotels, bars and restaurants.

Weather

It might be time to consider holidaying a bit further afield, however, as the weather forecast throughout Spain for the next few days is pretty dismal. Aemet has warned much of the country to be on the alert for the first DANA of the season from this weekend – an isolated depression that can lead to violent storms and torrential rain. Not only is it time to dig out the brolly, but hats, scarves and gloves might be the order of the day next week as the experts are predicting snow and wintery winds in the Cantabrian sea, the Pyrenees and throughout central Spain.

It’s been a damp week all round, with Murcia experiencing storms and heavy rains and yellow weather warnings issued for the Campo de Cartagena and Mazarrón.

It’s more than just a day for ducks in Alicante, too, as persistent rain that began mid-week is expected to stretch well beyond the weekend. As the winter approaches, a pioneering state-of-the-art early warning system for floods has been activated by Alicante Provincial Council and water company Hidraqua, to help local authorities in the Vega Baja area manage destructive phenomena such as the DANA storm which devastated the region in 2019.

Things haven’t been much brighter in Andalucía where there were strong winds and dangerous waves along the coast, with many areas being on orange alert for the last couple of days. The medium-risk areas include Málaga and Axarquía, which saw waves of up to five metres and strong gusts of wind, while to the west of the province, there have been showers accompanied by strong storms.

Swimmers and surfers are warned to take precaution at this time as rains and high winds can make conditions dangerous in the sea, though the westernmost province of Huelva has been exempt from the yellow warning for intense waves.

With proper winter weather setting in, rain and cold snaps threaten to put a dampener on the festive preparations, but the chilly forecast might actually take the heat off Murcia city council who are once again being hammered over the cost of their Christmas lights, which came in well over budget in 2019 and threaten to break the bank again this year. The iconic switching-on of the lights draws huge crowds each year and symbolises the official start to the season, but the city council has also come under fire for failing to name the date, with many detractors predicting that the ceremony will actually be delayed well into December.

Coronavirus

It’s been another turbulent week in Spain as Covid infections continue to spike and the cumulative incidence rate has exceeded 100 cases per 100,000 residents for the first time since September. While 89% of the target population is now fully vaccinated, the autonomous communities are battling with the Ministry of Health to have the use of Covid passports universally approved, with Valencia’s regional president vowing to introduce the measure in hospitality and leisure venues in the coming weeks.

And whilst the hospitality and leisure sector in Alicante is not against the introduction of Covid certificates to access premises, representatives are demanding the scheme be extended to shopping centres, cinemas and football stadiums.

An upward trend continues in Alicante this week as Covid infections soar, reaching a 10-week high on Monday November 15 with a whopping 1,164 new cases over the weekend – the highest figure since August 30.

The surge in new positives followed a 140% leap in the 14-day cumulative incidence rate in a month, having now surpassed the 100 mark. Despite the continued rise in Covid positives and hospital admissions, Valencia president, Ximo Puig, has ruled out new restrictions to combat the spread of the virus, for the moment.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health in Valencia is this week offering Covid booster jabs for the 210,000 people in the region of Valencia who have been immunised with the single-dose Janssen vaccine.

Daily Covid cases are also on the rise in the Region of Murcia. This week the incidence rate jumped up to 99.1 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the past two weeks (as reported on November 18) and several municipalities were moved into alert level three, including Mazarrón and Torre Pacheco. As of Friday, the total number of active cases in the Region was 1,439, compared to the 793 from the week before (November 12), almost double in just 7 days, while the number of new cases has been in the triple digits since Monday.

Worse still, after a 5-day streak of no Covid-related deaths, three people have died this week in the Region of Murcia. In light of the increased Covid stats this week, the regional president has stated in no uncertain terms that if we continue with this alarming trajectory, he will be forced to “make decisions”, although he failed to mention what action would be taken.

In Andalucía, the rate of increase of the cumulative incidence is speeding up, rising by over 4 points in each of the last two days. The cumulative incidence rate for the region now stands at 61.1, while the number of new daily cases has more than doubled in some places.

On Friday alone, there were 718 new cases of coronavirus diagnosed in the Andalucía region, making a total of 2,888 new cases since the Friday before. To put this into perspective, the number of new cases being reported last week was around 250-300 cases per day, but now we’re seeing over twice that amount, in the space of just 7 days.

There was an awkward moment for the national Health Minister Carolina Darias when the regional leaders unanimously rejected her proposal to adjust the coronavirus risk levels upwards amid skyrocketing cases, with Madrid’s representative telling Ms Darias that her new traffic light system “makes no sense”.

One thing all the regions agree on is that the development of Spain’s own Covid vaccine is a very positive move indeed. Pharmaceutical company Hipra are taking their drug into stage 2 human trials in the coming days, with hospitals in Valencia and Andalucía searching for volunteers who have already been double jabbed with Pfizer. The home-grown vaccine has already shown a promising performance against coronavirus and if all goes well, some 400 million doses could be produced early next year.

Murcia

The regional government recently announced their plan to extend the hunting period for wild boars and Vietnamese pigs, as the authorities claim that these species and their cross breeds are overpopulating the Region, damaging crops and causing health risks to cattle and humans. In the new order, hunting these animals will be allowed on “every day of the year” and hunters will even be allowed to use advanced technology such as night vision and thermal vision devices attached to their firearms.

The German supermarket chain, Aldi, also made headlines this week when the company sent a letter to their suppliers in the Region of Murcia, asking them to prove that they played no part in the contamination of the Mar Menor. The letter made waves in the Region as many believe that other international brands may follow Aldi’s lead and do their part to save the lagoon and hold those responsible for the eco-disaster accountable.

Many aspects of life are returning to normal after the height of the pandemic, with surgical wait times in hospitals in the Region falling well below the national average of 121 days.

Speaking of surgery in the Region of Murcia, in an epic medical mistake that took place at the La Vega Hospital in Murcia city back in 2008, doctors performed surgery on the wrong knee, leaving a female patient with crippling pain in her previously healthy joint. The woman, who was due to undergo surgery due to an injury caused by a traffic accident, has now been awarded 12,000 euros in compensation for the ordeal, but her lawyers have appealed the decision and are requesting further compensation due to the physical and psychological impact of the mistake.

Spain

Our fearless leader, Pedro Sánchez, has had his wrist slapped this week after taking an incredible 16 flights, all in Spain, to attend official engagements over the course of two consecutive weekends. The timing couldn’t be worse as the president has just returned from the Climate Change summit in Glasgow where there was a definite self-congratulatory air amongst world leaders for the great strides being made in environmental protection. After extolling Spain’s commitment to fighting climate change, Mr Sánchez made waves when he took to the air in both a helicopter and small plane, when one of the journeys was just 25 kilometres away by car.

The president could do with taking a leaf out of Repsol’s book, as the energy giant has dedicated itself to installing 1,000 electric vehicle charging points across Spain and Portugal by 2022 in an effort to encourage consumers away from diesel and petrol cars, which in any case will cease being produced by 2040.

For those on the fence about going electric, the time might be ripe for change as the shortage of raw materials and ongoing production delays hiked up the price of both new and used cars in Spain by an eye-watering 2.4% in October. This is the fourth consecutive month where an increase in cost has been recorded and it is the most expensive new cars have been in this country since 2017.

Anyone who has had the misfortune of trying to contact a utility company will understand the frustration of being greeted by a robotic voice prompting them to select the appropriate option, none of which ever seem to be what we’re looking for. The good news is that the Spanish government is cracking down on the practice of large companies fobbing customers off on automated services and a new law will ensure that clients are given personalised treatment. In addition, the decree will ensure that customer complaints are dealt with in a timely manner and will also force businesses to provide practical options for people with disabilities, such as instant messaging or sign language services.

Continuing in the retail vein, nutritionists have spoken out against the Nutriscore food labelling system which is becoming increasingly popular in Spain, commonly used by industry giants like Danone and Nestle. Nutriscore is a traffic light system for edible products which allows companies to assign a colour-coded rating to their food item depending on how healthy they judge it to be. The problem, according to experts in the business, is that the practice is totally unregulated and could result in consumers buying unhealthy products under the misguided understanding that it is better for them because the manufacturer has given it a green label.

Hardly a week goes by where then isn’t some kind of ecological disaster to talk about in Spain, and the proliferation of forest fires across the country are sadly the order of the day. Between January and October of this year, 85,144 hectares of land were destroyed by the blazes, an area roughly equivalent to the municipality of Murcia.

But authorities aren’t taking this lying down, and so far more than 300 arsonists have been arrested for deliberately causing the wildfires.

Alicante

Police have been cracking down on the sale of counterfeit clothes, carrying out a series of raids at cheap bazaars in Benidorm where they seized more than 2,000 fake branded items with a market value of 77,000 euros.

The countdown to Christmas has begun, and towns across the Valencian Community are busy putting the final touches on Christmas fairs and markets. A month-long festive market and nativity kicked off in Javea this week in aid of Caritas, a church charity that supports local families and Teulada Moraira is hosting its traditional market on Sunday December 19, with individuals, shopkeepers and associations taking part making a donation to the local Red Cross.

In other cutting-edge developments, it was announced this week that Benidorm will host a new, modern national tourism centre specialising in the digitisation of tourism in Spain. The project will involve an investment of more than 130 million euros, which will be used to develop smart tourism programs for the entire Spanish tourism sector, meaning Benidorm and Alicante province in general will become a benchmark for the whole of Spain in the application of new tourism technologies.

The nearby town of Calpe is another popular tourist destination, and its coastline has received a ‘good’ rating from beach users in the municipality’s first survey, the findings of which were revealed this week.

But whilst the overall rating was good, the footpaths and public toilets failed to impress.

Staying in the Marina Alta town, Calpe Fishermen’s Guild, marine researchers and the local council are once again teaming up to stage a seabed clean-up day this weekend. During the last clear-up, divers and volunteers recovered more than 2,000 kilos of marine litter in a day.

Elsewhere in Alicante province, a foreigner found himself in treacherous waters for 40 minutes after falling off a cliff into the sea in Torrevieja. The Russian man plunged into the water from a cliff in Cala la Higuera and was dragged 20 metres out to sea before he managed to swim to rocks from where he was eventually rescued by firefighters.

In Alfaz del Pi, fire crews managed to rescue two women from a flat fire which destroyed one home and spread to a neighbouring property. Paramedics treated the two women, aged 55 and 81, for smoke inhalation and hypertension respectively, and they were both taken to the Marina Baixa Hospital in Villajoyosa.

In controversial news, a mass ‘for the fallen’ due to take place in Alicante city this week was cancelled over publicity images of General Franco on social media. The mass was scheduled to take place at the Cathedral of San Nicolas in Alicante coinciding with the anniversary of the dictator’s death on November 20, but organisers called it off at the last minute following controversy over the use of photographs of Franco and José Antonio Primo de Rivera promoting the ceremony.

Andalucía

As of this week, Andalucía is following the lead of other parts of Spain and offering booster jabs of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to those who originally got the single-dose Janssen vaccine, which is less effective at defending against Covid-19. The drive comes at a time when Andalucía, again like much of the rest of the country, is seeing a spike in the number of infections and in the cumulative incidence rate.

Disturbances in the western Andalusian province of Cádiz this week, as the “indefinite” strike by metal workers on Tuesday turned violent. At first, the protestors were just picketing outside the shipyards and other places of work in towns like Cádiz, Algeciras, La Línea and Puerto Real, while the police diverted traffic around the affect areas, but then things went south.

In some places, rocks began to be thrown at police from the picket lines, and large bonfires were started in the middle of the street. In the ensuing scuffle between riot police and the striking workers, several officers were reported injured and at least one arrest was made. In Cádiz capital city, some of the workers broke into the guardhouse of the shipyard to barricade themselves inside.

One incident on Wednesday even led to the access road to the city hospital being blocked off, limiting people’s ability to get healthcare and forcing one woman to give birth in the back of an ambulance.

The reason behind the strike is a pay dispute between the metal workers’ unions and employers. The companies have promised a series of pay rises over the next three years, but not as much as the unions would like since they aren’t in line with the rise in the Consumer Price Index. While the big enterprises insist that the rising cost of electricity and parts makes such a wage increase impossible, the unions say that it’s precisely this increase in the cost of living that makes such a wage rise necessary and fair.

Negotiations are ongoing, but have so far yielded no results.

Elsewhere in the region of Andalucía, the town of Fuengirola in Málaga is offering to pay for all medical bills, vaccines and documentation costs when people adopt a cat or a dog from the local animal shelter. The town council already ran this “free pet adoption” scheme, but in the run up to Christmas and finding their rescue centre full to bursting, they have decided to make the offer permanent. Just remember that if you do decide to adopt a pet in Fuengirola this year, a free dog is for life, not just for Christmas.

Gruesome occurrences in Almería as a mother blocked herself and her two children in the bedroom of their top-floor apartment in Almería city and set the room on fire. Reports suggest that she drugged and sedated the kids before embarking on this murder-suicide, and had been buying gasoline in the days leading up to the event to make sure the fire was, in the words of police investigating the incident, “particularly virulent”.

Meanwhile, human remains were found on the train tracks under the bridge by Avenida del Mediterráneo in Almería. It’s still too early to tell, though, who the victim was and what the cause of death may have been, but indications point to the bones being quite old as they were worn down by time and natural erosion.

You may have missed...

1. Group of Dutch tourists infected with Covid on the run in Spain.

Police in the municipality of Navas del Madroño in the province of Cáceres in western Spain are on the hunt for a group of Dutch tourists who disappeared from their hotel after testing positive for Covid.

2. Tragedy averted at Repsol loading bay in Cartagena.

A fire that started at a Repsol fuel bay in Escombreras was thankfully brought under control swiftly, averting a potentially horrendous disaster.

3. Alicante launches gastronomic vouchers campaign.

Alicante Council has launched a Gastronomic Bonus campaign offering vouchers of 25 euros each which can be used in 120 bars and restaurants to help reactivate and support the city's hospitality industry.

4. British F35 jet crashes into the Mediterranean.

A British F35 jet crashed into the Mediterranean sea shortly after taking off from the deck of the HMS Queen Elizabeth for a routine flight and the pilot was forced to eject himself from the aircraft.

5. La Palma volcano claims its first victim.

A 72-year-old was found dead at his home in an exclusion zone on La Palma, the first death reported since the volcano erupted.

And that’s all she wrote! Thanks, as always, for reading. If you feel like your weekly roundup is something that you would recommend to a friend... DO! We’d love them meet them.

See you next week!

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