Officials have issued an urgent health warning to British tourists seeking some much-needed winter sun.
The Canary Islands are a popular destination around this time of year, thanks to the year-round balmy temperature, sunny weather, and short flight time from the UK (around four hours). But holidaymakers planning on jetting off to Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, and even the archipelago’s lesser visited islands such as La Gomera should do so with caution.
It comes as Spanish authorities reported a significant spike in cases of Covid 19, flu, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) over recent months. The trifecta of illnesses are currently affecting a staggering 794 people per 100,000 – ten times higher than the infection rate in England.
Ana Joyanes – the president of the Canary Islands Association of Primary Care Physicians (AMAPCAN) predicts the surge will worsen over the winter months, and has urged Brits to make sure they’re up to date with all of their vaccines before flying out for their holiday.
“Vaccination is essential to make the impact of these infections milder or avoid them altogether, especially if you are over 60 years of age or classed as vulnerable,” she said. “Both flu and COVID can be deadly. If we are protected, we will fare better against the viruses.”
The expert also recommended that any travellers with ‘respiratory symptoms’ should wear a face mask to prevent transmission, so it might be worth packing one just in case. The Canarian Weekly reports that the Ministry of Health is also slated to meet with regional authorities this month ‘to discuss possible mask mandates across four risk levels’.
It is believed this could result in compulsory mask wearing in places such as waiting rooms and hospital emergency areas. At the time of writing, tourists in the Canary Islands do not have to wear a face covering anywhere.
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The Canary Islands are also being urged to resolve problems around long delays at passport control and excessive taxi queues at their most popular airports. Travel expert José Juan Lorenzo, who recently flew from Lanzarote to London, says sites such as César Manrique Airport and Tenerife South Airport need to make the most of automated passport gates to deal with influxes of visitors more effectively.
“The machines are physically present in the terminals but remain non-operational, despite months of installation,” he told local media. “The difference [in London] was remarkable; it was much faster. I’m confident we’ll resolve this soon.”
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