Los Gigantes Message Board
All About Los Gigantes in Tenerife => General Discussion => Topic started by: Tanemera on September 07, 2020
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Hoping to arrive 28th September and have a couple of questions.
1. Are the taxis from the airport restricting the number of passengers? I heard they would only take one.
2. Are two people from same family allowed to go to the supermarket together?
Thanks.
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Taxis take two people. If you share a car with people with whom you don’t live you all need to wear a mask.
You are not restricted as to how many of you go to a supermarket but you need a mask. Some supermarkets, like hiperdino, take temperature as you enter, Mercadona have plastic disposable gloves.
Everyone encouraged to distance.
Masks must be worn anywhere outside your home, including entering, leaving or walking round a restaurant. Once seated for eating and drinking you can remove the mask.
All shops require you to keep your mask on
Walking in the street requires a mask.
Smoking banned whilst sitting in a bar and special smoking areas are set up where you need to go to smoke.
All this makes you feel very secure, very aware to distance and respect each other, and generally after a couple of days, you don’t even notice what initially can seem like a nuisance.
We came back after seven months out their a fortnight ago and just finishing quarantine , but felt very safe in Tenerife, plenty of places to enjoy eating out, shopping very easy. Certainly the Quieter atmosphere we thoroughly enjoyed, though felt for the businesses desparately trying to keep going. You will enjoy it.
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We all expected the transport secretary Grant Shapps to remove the Canaries and Balearics from the prohibited fly list, thus creating an air bridge, within Spain. But a NO SHOW
I am starting to thing "brexit politcs may be paying a part in the governments thinking".
We really want to get out to LG, but with things still in a state of flux, we won't risk it.
Talk of a winter 2nd wave, we could be caught in a Tenerife lockdown!
From what I see, we have the world bank, the EU, NATO, G7,Comonwealth etc.. But countries have not sat down together and discussed a common policy of how to respond/ function with regard to the virus.
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Why would the UK create an air bridge to Spain or the Canaries or Tenerife when the numbers are far worse than the UK?
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Unless I am wrong which is highly likely! The Islands of Spain are within "colvid limits" the spike being in the Spanish mainland. You will tell me Nophead that I am wrong, maybe just what I read and hoping!
Am sure you will have more information than I have. We need people like you,cos I'm a happy dreamer!
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The UK threshold for air corridors is 20 / 100,000 per week.
Canaries are about 111, Tenerife about 34 by my calculations.
I could show an alarming graph but people on this forum hate to see them.
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Taxis take two people. If you share a car with people with whom you don’t live you all need to wear a mask.
You are not restricted as to how many of you go to a supermarket but you need a mask. Some supermarkets, like hiperdino, take temperature as you enter, Mercadona have plastic disposable gloves.
Everyone encouraged to distance.
Masks must be worn anywhere outside your home, including entering, leaving or walking round a restaurant. Once seated for eating and drinking you can remove the mask.
All shops require you to keep your mask on
Walking in the street requires a mask.
Smoking banned whilst sitting in a bar and special smoking areas are set up where you need to go to smoke.
All this makes you feel very secure, very aware to distance and respect each other, and generally after a couple of days, you don’t even notice what initially can seem like a nuisance.
We came back after seven months out their a fortnight ago and just finishing quarantine , but felt very safe in Tenerife, plenty of places to enjoy eating out, shopping very easy. Certainly the Quieter atmosphere we thoroughly enjoyed, though felt for the businesses desparately trying to keep going. You will enjoy it.
gosh, this will really encourage people to come over on holiday. i would suggest slightly extreme. think walking around outside with a mask on is pointless. inside areas with lots of other people is probably much more sensible.
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And the UK is now above its own threshold, LOL. If we fly internally we should quarantine or it makes no sense, or perhaps none of this makes sense.
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Many thanks, Angiebabes, for your very helpful reply. You have answered all my questions, :-*plus some I hadn't thought of. Looking forward to the sunshine. Regarding the mask requirements, etc, I am completely in favour and wish the UK would adopt them instead of all the confusing instructions that are never enforced anyway.
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Due out on the 22nd Sept, will not be worrying over cases per 100000 in Tenerife as the cases in my area at home in the UK are now at 89 per 100000!
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Government putting Portugal on quarantine list, but not Madera or the Azores. So why don't they do the same for the Canaries?
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Because the cases in the Canaries are way above the 20 / 100,000 per week. They do seem to be past the peak now and on the way down and we are on the way up to meet them.
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Read today that there is a 92 percent increase in the over 50 group with covid
Are you all sure you wish to travel
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Read today that there is a 92 percent increase in the over 50 group with covid
Are you all sure you wish to travel
quite sure i wish to travel. dont believe what the papers tell you. you are just click bait. and there is a huge decline of people dying of covid. more people have had it than you know and dont realise including people over 50. its time the world got back on its feet.
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Well said Janey.
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Yep if you stay at home for a year there is about the same chance you will die of something random as if you go out and are actually unlucky enough to catch it.
There is actually no logic to most of the worlds government's responses. Why on earth do they portray it as a great danger when it ranks very low on the scale of things that might kill us? So far during this "pandemic" three people I know have died from cancer but I none of my friends and relatives have even caught covid that they know of.
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Sure we want to travel. What else is there to do as we listen to scaremongering and meaningless stats that tell us nothing. Changed our flights from Jet2 and will be in LG next weekend. Will adhere to all the guidance and enjoy the usual bars, restaurants and shops that we normally use. Let’s start being rational about the risks we face in trying to get our lives back.
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So nophead you know more than all the Governments & Scientists in the world who are spending an untold amount money trying to stop this pandemic, and that is the problem with all the money being spent they still can not control this pandemic.
If they don't take this action it would be totally out of control & millions will die, stop comparing it to flu we have a vaccine not perfect but it helps, also I have never heard of someone catching cancer from somebody else.
Get real it is a PANDEMIC, not a flu outbreak.
We all want life back to normal, we are hoping to come over for our 3 months in the winter, but if people do not heed the warnings nobody knows what will happen, only that the death rate will increase
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Millions in the world but since the mortality rate in the UK is now estimated to be only 0.7% and herd immunity needs about 70% of the population to get it absolute worst case would be about 0.49% of the UK population, which is about 330,000 people, only about half the normal number of people that die in a year, so a 50% increase. In practice it would be a lot less if the vulnerable kept out of the way. They are the ones that normal life should stop for, not the majority that are young and healthy.
If only differs from a flu outbreak because it is new and nobody has any immunity and there is no vaccine. Compared to Spanish flu, that was much worse. For most healthy people it has no symptoms at all and most of the rest have cold like symptoms, nowhere near as bad as flu. A small percentage have a completely over the top immune reaction that can kill them, not the virus itself.
Yes most cancers are not contagious but my point is far more people die of cancer and other things, so how is this such a terrible disease that it needs an over the top response? Cancel kills about 1/3 of the population, this would only kill 0.5%. Traffic pollutions kills more and that is also not contagious but more likely to kill you or I and very hard to avoid.
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In May when the lock down started, we felt that it was a huge over reaction, then we were in our fifties.
Since then my wife and I have moved into our 60's. And whether it is psychological or not I do not know,
but we are taking this new spike far more seriously. I imagine that were we moving into our seventies we would be extremely cautious!
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You can bandy your figures all day & night, the point is it is still spreading, you go on about herd immunity & its ok its only us old buggers that will die, thanks for that.
And while you are going on about heards many Governments are saying it is the young & their disregard for taking the actions Governments want them to take, to STOP the spread.
Myself & my wife are the vulnerable we are over 70 we take every precaution hopefully to avoid contamination, how are we supposed to keep out of the way, do what you say people should not do, make up your mind, you live in a fantasy land
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It is only a tiny percentage of the old buggers, there are millions of them in the UK. Most will die from cancer, heart disease or dementia. Unless you are in a care home or a hospital it is pretty easy to avoid getting it when you don't need to go out to work. It doesn't require the rest of the world to stop.
My view is the quicker everybody who is going to get it, gets it, the quicker when can get back to normal life.
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Cor Blimey, Georgie's computer must have packed up. He has not been on today.
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Sorry Edward
All I think I know is that from my perspective and the govt
We have another 18 months of this
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So nophead what you are saying is when all the old people die of what ever illness they may suffer from, this Pandemic will cease, but it is not the old people that are spreading it.
And if you think that you are more crazy than those in the lunny bins.
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No what I am saying is worst case most people will not die from covid because it only kills 0.7% of the people that catch it. So if everybody got it, which is almost impossible because herd immunity prevents the spread, most people will still die from something else. Compared to most other things that kill us it is hardly significant.
At any age, catching it is no more dangerous than living for a year. We all think we have good chance of living another year but actually about 1% of us will not. Yes it kills more old people but they also are the ones most likely not to last another year.
This is why I don't count it as dangerous. If you think it is dangerous to catch it you must think life is so dangerous or be so unhealthy you will be lucky to last a year.
50% of the people it has killed were in care homes and 50% were disabled. The number of healthy people it has killed is tiny in any age group. The only reason it has killed more old people is because less of them are healthy. People over 100 have survived.
Covid won't stop spreading until more than 70% have immunity, ether by getting it, or being vaccinated, or by hiding themselves away.
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I wonder if nophead would have the balls to express these opinions face to face in a room full of the grieving relatives of these (old buggers) who have died through no fault of their own.
Many have lost loved ones all over the world, and quite a number in the Canaries.
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So nophead, in your words "you don't count it as dangerous", so why were you bleating on about not being able to go to your property or it not being worth anything, or you have not been out for months since you returned from Tenerife, why you have nothing to worry about.
You have quoted that anybody has only a 0.7% of catching it and as you are so young unlike us ready to die old buggers it is likely less than that you will catch it, again it sounds like the pot calling the kettle black.
Get off your computer and realise behind your figures these are real people that are dying, not just some statistic.
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The chance if catching it is mainly down to what you do unless you need to go to hospital or live in a care home. I don't think it depends on age other than if you are retired it is much easy to avoid it.
I never said there is a 0.7% chance of catching it. What I said is that on average of all the people that do catch it, only 0.7% die, a figure that was recently published on the BBC website. The vast majority have no symptoms at all. Of those that do have symptoms most have mild ones. A few have an overreaction of the body's immune system called a cytokine storm. Then they get very ill and need hospital treatment and a lot of those die. People also die from flu for the same reason.
The reason my apartment is now useless is Los Gigantes is like a ghost town, a lot of businesses are closed permanently and I can't see how the rest will last long with no customers. I saw a video shot on Thursday night and of the few businesses open most had no customers or just one couple. Only Charlie's bistro was busy and apparently they only open a couple of nights. If I go there I have to wear a mask all day.
I never said I hadn't been out for months. I go out walking most days, without a mask. We also ate out to help out six or seven times without wearing a mask in bars and restaurants in August. Have only needed to wear a mask four times so far for shopping.
Yes of course they are real people dying but everybody dies, which means huge numbers die every day. Why is a it great tragedy when a small number in comparison die a bit earlier? Why do people fixate on Covid and ignore all the other things that are far more likely to kill us? Why does normal life have to stop and all leisure and cultural businesses be ruined? Why are the similar numbers of lives shortened by air pollution ignored?
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This bloke ain't for turning, lets hope he does not catch it, because if he does he will bore the Doctors and Nurses to death
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If I do catch, (assuming I haven't already had it in January) I don't think I will be troubling any doctors or nurses because I don't have any preconditions that I know of, so the chances of me being ill are vanishing small.
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If nophead would like to provide his apartment address in LG I’m sure quite a crowd would turn up for Covid party.Preferably while he is away.
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I don't like the face masks at all they make you feel hot and breathe less
On the market stall they were visors which I bought one and they are 110 percent better
No sure of the safety though
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Unfortunately visors are not allowed as a substitute for a mask in Tenerife.
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You 2 take the biscuit one day you might catch this virus and when you are ITU on a ventilator you might think, although that mask was uncomfortable I wished I had warn it.
And nophead don't give me the crap about it does not help those that wear them, the scientific advice is it can help wearing one
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Maybe if you wear it properly but nobody does and no substitute for social distancing. Do you all follow these instructions religiously like your life depends on it?
- Wash or sanitize your hands before and after putting on and taking off your mask.
- Place your mask over your mouth and nose.
- Don't touch your mask while wearing it.
- If you accidentally touch your mask, wash or sanitize your hands.
- If your mask becomes wet or dirty, switch to a clean one. Put the used mask in a sealable bag until you can wash it.
- Remove the mask by untying it or lifting off the ear loops without touching the front of the mask or your face.
- Wash your hands immediately after removing your mask.
Not very practical when you have to wear it all day when out and about and keep taking it on and off in bars and restaurants.
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Common sense, you could use disposable ones or take sanitizer with you, but that would cost a few pennies extra, Oh that was daft of me to suggest that to you.
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Personally I find it impossible to stop touching my face as it is an unconscious reflex action. And if you watch people of TV they always touch their mask as it slips down their nose while talking. Most people here wear them round their necks in between shops.
In Spain you have to put it on in a bar when you are not eating or drinking, so between each course and each beer. So each time you would be faffing about with plastic bags and hand sanitiser. I don't think so, especially after a few beers. On the other hand the WHO say not to take it on and off.
I prefer the UK where I don't need to wear a mask outside or in a bar. Outside is no problem as I keep 2m distance and not had a problem in six months. In a bar I accept the small risk of catching it because the risk is much less than the chance I will be dead in a year's time.
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Whilst I am no expert in face mask and don't want to contradict staff in chemist and supermarkets near us are wearing the same visor that I bought
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Even the chancellor of the exchequer in the mail had the same visor on that I purchased
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In the UK staff in shops, pubs and restaurants can wear whatever they want or no mask at all. I have seen a complete mixture, some wear a mask over their mouth but not their nose. Some wear tiny plastic visors over their nose and mouth, most wear nothing.
In Spain it has to be a proper mask with some filtration properties to a standard, although in practice I have seen the plain cloth designer ones used.
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So OK, you 2 wont wear a mask, we have got that so I am sure the rest of the posters on here along with myself have had enough.
Just one other thing, I don't think we will ever meet, but should we, don't be offended if I tell you to pi55 off
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is there any point in this web site anymore ? There are at least 2 others that actually have interesting information about what's going on in the area we love to visit.
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Rumours of another lockdown here in UK in October if rising Covid trend continues!
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What type of mask you have to wear, when you have to wear it and how effective it might be at protecting you seems totally relevant in a discussion titled "Restrictions" to me.
Yes with schools open it has gone crazy in the UK because with 1 in 1400 of the population having it most schools are more than likely to have cases. Also with everybody isolated for so long they are all getting colds to confuse the issue.
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I won't wear a mask, hence I've stopped going into shops and have cancelled my el sombrero holiday for December. I agree with nophead. Masks are useless as 99 per cent of population don't wear them correctly.
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Sorry unhappy but I will always wear a mask but find them very uncomfortable to wear that is why I am using the visor instead
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Blarer
If everything is closed and there are no holidays the only thing we discuss is the recent upgrades to the area and the proposed car park in the pablado marinero area
Please let me know what else is happening
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I was hoping this mask subject would be finished but alas
nophead, you are so clever you don't even realise to wear a mask is to try and safe guard others.
Sandy Lea, I am sure the people in Tenerife are glad of your decision, & what are you going to do if it is made law in the UK or Tenerife
Georgie, why do you want the information, like Sandy Lea you also have cancelled your booking.
My wife & myself, can not wait to have our 3 months in Tenerife if we are allowed
And finally will somebody please close this mask subject
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I'm sure the people of Tenerife do want us. If they don't have us tourists, what do they have - bananas???
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I won't wear a mask, hence I've stopped going into shops and have cancelled my el sombrero holiday for December. I agree with nophead. Masks are useless as 99 per cent of population don't wear them correctly.
If you didn’t wear a mask correctly in Tenerife a hefty fine might concentrate your mind.
I wear a mask, both in Tenerife and Uk because if I have Covid and am asymtomatic or if it is discovered in two or three months time that wearing one limits your chances of catching the virus then I figure I've lost nothing, And in the meantime, I am doing everything I can to ensure I don’t infect someone else. Doesn’t cause me inconvenience, doesn’t bother me to wear a mask even in 40° in Tenerife compared with what damage I may be inflicting on someone else. I’m not a scientist, epidemiologist, virologist or in any way qualified medically so I am ignorant and therefore respect the advice from people more qualified than myself.
I’m over 70, have buried a daughter at 32, have a husband with Alzheimer’s and so daily I do everything I can to make life a bit easier. Wearing a mask compared to daily problems is such a minor inconvenience I can’t be doing with all this chest thumping about how hard it is to wear a piece of material across your nose and mouth, and yes I do have asthma before anyone else starts. For heaven’s sake, how do you think people managed in ww2, or cope now in some of these countries where war ravaged your homes and very existence. What a load of wimps we’ve bred, who find wearing a mask so uncomfortable, against their human rights etc.etc. MAN UP, GET A GRIP and stop winging.
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well said Angiebabes.
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Yes I know they are mainly to protect others, that is what surgical masks are designed for, but I was replying to:
And nophead don't give me the crap about it does not help those that wear them, the scientific advice is it can help wearing one
So make up your mind.
They make some sense in places you can't distance and that is where we have to wear them in the UK. Shops and public transport, etc. They don't make sense outside if you can distance.
In bars and restaurants you have to remove them to eat and drink, so not much point in wearing them in the brief periods in between. People don't need to go into bars and restaurants if they want to avoid catching it. Those are the only places I go I consider there is some risk. People who are vulnerable should avoid them.
angiebabes, sorry to hear about your daughter and husband. Both my parents had dementia and my father had Alzheimer’s when he was younger than I am now, when I was in my teens. It's a much bigger problem than Covid and it is far more likely that or cancer will kill us but governments don't put anything like the money or effort into finding cures. I wonder why.
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Sandy Lea, as a resident of LG for more than 25 years I can assure you that we would love to welcome back the tourists but just not you and Nophead with your negative opinionated attitudes.
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Having started this topic with a question which was fully answered by AngieBabes, it is sad to see that the thread has deteriorated into a childish slanging match between a few clowns, as has also happened with other threads. I have a feeling that a lot of regular contributors have already given up on this forum because of these few. If you guys have nothing helpful to say, please shut up!
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Bring on the clowns as along as their wearing masks!
Lighten up Lady! This Covid still got a lot of mileage in it - unfortunately, any banta has to be good!!
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Although virus rates are increasing, the deaths are not following, which indicates that the virus which mutates all the time may have mutated to a less series strain. Which perhaps could be considered more Flu like, so to speak. Think we should go for a Sweden type road map! Let it do it's stuff! And if you are of a certain age or have other health issues, please be careful. But I would make wearing a mask compulsery!
I thing the EU have shrinked Boris's balls. Lets hope he gets them back and sacks those over cautious medical advisors who cannot be proved wrong! Unless the 500,000 die!!!! that was with no lockdown!!
Really!!!
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Tanemera, you were happy to post when I raised the problem of Travel Insurance, along with others, now because your post was answered by Angibabes you expect nobody else to have any input.
You will see that I did not get involved for 5 days after your initial post, but after suffering the posts of one self opinionated person started about Covid and us buggers are going to die anyway, I felt as being one of those old buggers I had a right of reply.
Some people you agree with some you don't, some posts are informative some are downright stupid but hayho that's life again.
When somebody posts offensive or stupid comments, I feel I have a right of reply
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I think you have posted the most offensive and stupid comments of anybody.
When I suggested the rules are daft because I can do more now when the local rate is ten times higher here than it was when I couldn't you think that is raving lunacy. Why?
If government rules made sense surely I should be able to do less now rates are 10 times higher but I can now socialise with 5 other people from different households, whereas in the summer I could not socialise outside my household and before that I could only socialise with one other household. If you think that makes sense and I don't, who is the stupid one?
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Your opinion NOT the majorities, most people comply with the Governments ADVICE
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Nopheads onions are the only ones that matter.
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Nopheads onions are the only ones that matter.
I wouldn't say that. We did have a good crop this year but I used the last one in a curry last night, so will have to buy them from now on.
unhappy, we have always followed the government rules, but we don't know a single other person that has. All our friends, family and neighbours break them. Mainly because they have children and grandchildren, so they mind them, or have celebratory meals for graduations, birthdays, etc.
What I said where the rules are stupid because as our numbers increase they allow more social freedom. Do the majority actually think that makes sense? If so I despair at the lack of logical reasoning.
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Just in case I am going out tomorrow to buy toilet rolls and tins of soup and tomatoes xx
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Were just booking flights out for next month. But with these new restrictions have decided to leave it again.
Really need to get out to pay some bills and get some sun now that it looks like we are entering the Autumn/winter here. Limbo is a word that comes to mind!
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Jet2 suspended flights again. Not sure if we will book with them for December. Might trust Ryanair again, at least they got us here. A few more younger couples walking around last night and this morning. Hope that people of all ages start to return soon as there might not be many more businesses able to survive.
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Sorry everyone just found out from my yearly check up that visors are no good but wear a face mask
Back to face masks
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Is the mobile phone/top up shop run by Juan still open in Porto Santiago?
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Yes he’s still there and helpful as always
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Masks! I have had trouble shopping with my wife due to wearing a mask! I find them uncomfortable and also the elastic straps around my ears annoying! My wife picked up a couple in Pound Land. Well their great, black very light fabric like tights material and stretchty. No elastic as 2 holes precut in to fabric for your ears.
So light and easy to wear that I am completley okay with wearing a mask now!
It is worth trying a few types to get one that suits you!
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You can wear any face covering in the UK but for Spain it is supposed to be a proper mask that actually filters. No idea how well that is policed.
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was going to book for late October, but have read that Easyjet close to collapse, and also worried that could be caught in a new Spanish lockdown, and having to self isolate on return to UK. So many variables!
Think maybe the best to continue to wait and if we go, book the flights the day before! Just fancy a bit of sun and LG!
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You can wear any face covering in the UK but for Spain it is supposed to be a proper mask that actually filters. No idea how well that is policed.
Not in Tenerife it isn’t! As long as the mask covers nose and mouth snuggly now problem.
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We booked EasyJet flights flights for November in March as a gamble. As we get nearer the uncertainty is going up rather than down. Regulations and case trends change nearly every day.
I got an email from them a few days ago saying our return flight in December was a few hours earlier. Perhaps they consolidated some flights due to lack of passengers.
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They have
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Received an email today from Tui our holiday due to fly out 20th this month, they say there is no air bridge so they can not guarantee our holiday
What this must also mean that the airlines & tour companies who are offering flights & holidays even now know that they have now way of knowing if they can fly.
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Was that also the case when you booked it or did it close after?
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Received an email today from Tui our holiday due to fly out 20th this month, they say there is no air bridge so they can not guarantee our holiday
What this must also mean that the airlines & tour companies who are offering flights & holidays even now know that they have now way of knowing if they can fly.
Oh no! I’m so sorry to read this unhappy. I’m thinking of delaying until 4/12 to our apartment as we were in Tenerife for 10months earlier but first frost will have me saying we should have gone sooner. I do hope you get fixed up, have you got friends who would rent to you and do your flights separate?
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We only booked the holiday on the 24/09/20 a week ago, they must have known then that there was no air bridge
Tui & Ryanair were offering flights & holidays but Jet2 are now only offering anything from mid October, so be aware that without an air bridge they can not fly.
Myself I would call it fraud, they have offered my something they knew they could not supply, but knowing the Travel Industry they will get away with it.
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Yes it was pretty obvious there wouldn't be one then. The numbers are on the way down mostly but nowhere near the 20 limit and it would also need a government concession to treat Tenerife different from Spain, and even some of the other Canaries.
The best hope seems to be testing at the airport funded by Tenerife, but even then it needs the UK government to accept that and it would be no means certain.
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Things may yet change! I thought I read somewhere today (although I cannot find it now!) that a European country is opening an air bridge to Tenerife.
Anyways!!!! Unhappy I have said before to you? You need to change your call sign - it's bad Karma!
Say - would you open a village bar called C rap times. Change it Unhappy Things will improve!!
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I think Germany has a limit of 50, so they might open one long before the UK does and get all the sunbeds.
The UK limit of 20 doesn't make much sense now the UK is well above that itself. You should be able to go anywhere that is lower than at home without quarantine.
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Tui are operating from Germany 7 flights a week to all canaries starting Saturday.Belgium happy to allow flying to Tenerife .UK need to sort themselves out.
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It could be Spain that has stopped the air bridge because of the rise of covid in the UK.
We know when we caught the Wizz Air flight in May, the first flight out after we were left stranded, a Government tried to stop the flight 4 times before it landed, but we could not find out which one it was.
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While we were in LG and surrounding area we were pleased to see the level of adherence to wearing masks, hand hygiene etc. Different story in the airport. People of all ages ‘forgetting’ to wear mask until staff reminded them, shouting and swearing as they joined check in and queuing for toilets on plane even though regular announcements were made. A few spoil things for the majority of us. Doubt these same people will be bothered about quarantine.
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Flew from East Midlands today, the airport was quiet, there were only about 50 on the flight and everyone was well spaced out. Tenerife airport was quiet too, we breezed through the health check and immigration and our luggage was on the carousel by the time we got there. No queue at car hire and we were driving away less than 30 minutes after we arrived. Really looking forward to spending the few weeks supporting the local restaurants and bars
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Well done, and keep us posted with what is open and how they are getting on in these strange times!
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Wish we were still there. The restaurants,bars and shops all need increased revenue. Bought things we would not usually buy just to give some support to the hard working people trying to make a living. Definitely going back in
December regardless of quarantine restrictions.
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Putting us off coming out is the 14 day quarantine on return. We run a business so may need to attend to something! If it were 7 days I would be happy to come out. Let's say I return from Tenerife, showing no temp. and on day 5 of our return I get a Covid test, 48 hours later (day 7) shows negative! I as a responsible person with my covid negative passport should be able to go out and do my business!
What do you think!
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Totally agree. The quarantine period is like everything else at the minute , a number pulled out of nowhere. In a few days time I can imagine we will be going stir crazy and desperate to get out and about. Fingers crossed that the 14 day rule is reviewed soon.
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The issues with testing after 5 days are who is going to pay for it when it costs more than the airfare? And the test is only about 70% accurate for a positive.
Medics need two negative tests a few days apart before they can go back to work. My nephew, who is a doctor, missed being able to visit his father before he died because his second test didn't come back in time while isolating after being exposed to it at work even with the date of exposure being known.
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When is a test not a test?
When it’s not accurate.
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CS, who did you fly with & was it a holiday booking or just flights. We live by EMA or BHX same distance to both
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Apparently no medical tests are 100% accurate with a certain percentage of false negatives and positives. Depending on how many tests are done, the prevalence of the disease and the false rate, some can do more harm than good.
For covid the chance of getting a false negative varies according to which day you are on after initial infection. Too early or too late there is not enough virus present. Or the swab might not be inserted far enough, etc.
False positives include cases where people have had it in the recent past but are no longer infectious but dead virus fragments can trigger a positive.
The PCR test works by doing a number of cycles to amplify the virus DNA to a detectable level. The number of cycles sets the sensitivity of the test and is a balance between false negative and false positive. I.e. you think it gives a binary yes or no but that is only after a chosen number of cycles, so it is actually more analogue.
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Unhappy, we had flights only with Ryanair and our flights were about 70% full. They fly from most airports.Arriving home the airport checks are much quicker than usual as so few passengers. As long as the electronic health form is completed correctly even that isn’t an issue. Did see a couple of idiots who had not followed the guidance and were then kicking up a fuss. In my opinion flying at the minute is more enjoyable than usual.
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Are the bars, cafes and shops open in the airport?
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Unhappy - we must be from the same neck of the woods, we flew with Ryanair, flight only, duty free, WH Smith and bars and restaurants were open
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Everything open in Tenerife South, once you get through security. You can pay cash or by card.
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Anyone any knowledge of any inflight crew being struck down with Covid as flying is deemed so risky? When we flew back from Tenerife in August, I spoke to the cabin crew and none of them had been infected, just interested?
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Thanks CS, I thought it was with Ryanair as Tui & Jet2 are not flying until later this month.
The crazy thing is to fly with them now to TFS from EMA really good flight times, the price £36.98 return each, madness how can they make that pay.
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Should we stay at home and support our own business
Is that why we voted Brexit
Sorry but we must think about this issue
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We stay in the UK most of the year supporting businesses & when we fly out on holiday we support taxi's, airports & travel companies.
As for Brexit we think you will find most people who voted to leave were sick & tired of being told what to do by the EU when most of the Countries in the EU did not conform to their own laws but expected the UK too & that is from experience running my own Company with their stupid red tape.
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Trump is going home to the Whitehouse after being hospitalised with Covid. Boris could have died. That was 9/10 months earlier in the year. This tells me that the virus has mutated to a weaker strain, more like an annual flu. I think also that God maybe showing us that Trump is showing us the correct way and we need to follow him and urge any septics (septic tanks - yanks) that they should vote to return him to office.
Live and let live!! Up the revolution!!
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Not necessarily. Most people that catch it don't die from it, even when old and fat. You have to be unlucky as well.
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Perhaps the NHS the doctors & nurses have a better handle on the virus now & some drugs that don't cure the infection but help ease the illness.
As for trump, I thought my wife had the perfect diagnosis, she said he must have the virus he can't smell his bull sh1t anymore.
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Looks like our visit to Tenerife this month is off, rang Tui today after the email they sent last week about the air bridge, they can not tell me if it is going or not, although Ryanair are still flying, must be short of a few bob after paying all those customers back that he thought he did not have too.
Jet2 are now not flying until the 1st November, but the way this virus is spreading again across the world it looks like we are going to be back in total lock down again fairly soon.
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EasyJet are still flying at the moment. According to flightradar the Manchester flight is just about to land at TFS.
I got a second email from them saying our November flight out is later in the day. So our trip is getting slightly shorter at each end, if it flies at all.
In the meantime there is a petition to sign if you want all this nonsense to stop. https://gbdeclaration.org/
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Thanks Nophead! Signed
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Couldn't agree more with the Declaration - also signed
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signed
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Just signed it. So has hubby and 2 friends.
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It might get worse
The volcano in Iceland is due to erupt again
Remember 2011 when all flights were grounded
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By your term " nonsense ", I expect your advice is capistious to all the medical people that know this virus is uncontrollable and a mass killer, ( Trump is looking for a right or left hand assistant all his are dropping like flies ) I would apply if I was you.
My wife & myself would like to thank you for the possible death sentence by yours & others irresponsible actions.
WE WILL NOT BE SIGNING.
And Georgie you have been so quite we thought you had been looking for your brain, alas NO.
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I don't know what "capistious" means but the petition was started by medical and public health scientists and medical practitioners and 5,957 of the former and 12,182 of the latter have signed it.
Yes the virus is uncontrollable, so it is futile to try to control it and massively damaging to health, education and the economy.
It isn't a mass killer because worst case it will kill less than 1% of the population. Most of the other 99% will die from one of the mass killers, which are cancer, heart disease and dementia plus the other far more dangerous things like air pollution.
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Unhappy
My brain
You are joking about the serious of this situation
Sorry but strange xx
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That's odd just had the news where all the medical people are now asking for it to be made law to wear a mask at work.
What you along with others are proposing is we do nothing and let this virus infect the whole world uncontrolled, billions of people.
How do you expect this little country the UK to cope, the NHS could not cope in March & April with just a few hundred thousand infected, what do they do when there are millions, how will it cope then & and what will that do to our economy.
We still have no idea how bad this can get, we now have what they are calling Long Covid where people who had a very minor infection but months later are having serious health problems, in fact I saw one young woman who said she had caught the virus twice months apart, the second time causing her serious health problems.
Along with my wife we will take every precaution we can to avoid catching or spreading this virus, if that means wearing a mask which we had done since we were in lockdown in February in Tenerife, before we got home & have done ever since then.
Don't forget wearing a mask is to safeguard other people not just yourself, even now when the pubs are closing we are seeing people mixing & drinking in the streets, until people realise & behave responsable this virus will carry on spreading, how are these eminent doctors going to control that with their petition.
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Hi Unhappy, A very good article in the femail yesterday, sorry daily mail!
I imagine Unhappy you may be in your late 60's or early 70's.
Not having the article in front of me, the average mortality age here in UK is 81.5 years.
The average age for death related to Covid 19 is 82.5 years.
So simplistically the poor buggers who have succumbed to the Virus are already past their Sell By Date.
You are younger, so should be fine!!!
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how are these eminent doctors going to control that with their petition?
The point is they don't need to. Like all previous diseases the world carries on and the population acquires immunity and the few that don't exit exit stage left.
Millions won't get ill at the same in the UK because most people don't get ill and it takes months to ripple through. Anybody that doesn't fancy their chances needs to keep out of the way.
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Yes Pilgrim they may be the facts now with the Government trying to steem the infection, we saw by them doing the lockdown they were able to control the spread.
If people do not act responsibly the virus will spread even worse and it wont be just the old buggers that die it will be many more others & the Government will be forced in to another lockdown nationwide
Do nothing like the idiot Manchester Mayor wants, it is easy criticising the Government he should be telling his flock to act responsibly to try and stop the spread.
And as for taking facts from newspapers forget it.
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nophead, you must tell me where you got you crystal ball from, your comment is stupid.
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What is stupid about it? Most people, more than 70% have no symptoms at all. Most of the rest have mild symptoms. 10% have had it already. Where is the crystal ball needed?
Even if everybody got it at the same time you would struggle to hit one million with more than a cold, let alone millions. And as long as the old people stay out of the way it wouldn't be a big problem.
Anyway 18,000 much more qualified people than you or me think the same way. Are they all stupid?
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Yes I do think they are stupid, why do you think most of the world brought in lockdowns to stop the spread, those that did not suffered the consequences, the virus out of control.
As for your obnoxious suggestion old people should stay out of the way, it is not us that are spreading the virus its the young and irresponsible morons like you.
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What is stupid about it? Most people, more than 70% have no symptoms at all. Most of the rest have mild symptoms. 10% have had it already. Where is the crystal ball needed?
Even if everybody got it at the same time you would struggle to hit one million with more than a cold, let alone millions. And as long as the old people stay out of the way it wouldn't be a big problem.
Anyway 18,000 much more qualified people than you or me think the same way. Are they all stupid?
I read your post with interest and am by no way educated in figures, computers or algorithms. Can you please tell me- you state more than 70% have no symptoms and 10% have already had it -
Then it figures 70% might not have a clue whether they’ve had it or not, so no one can say 10% have had it, as none of us are tested daily, weekly or some of us never! The figure could be much much higher.
No figures are accurate or can be anything like accurate unless every single person is tested daily, or at least weekly to ascertain
If they’ve got it
If they’ve had it
Until then, from what you state, you contradict yourself on claims as we don’t have the necessary information on which to base any percentages,
Track and trace is vital, yet hundreds of small, independent laboratories that could and should have been utilised, have been ignored at the cost of actually getting accurate figures from which to make an informed action plan.
In the meantime, as you work your graphs out on information gleaned from the press etc., I question what accuracy you can appoint to any figures relating to covid?
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The figures come from articles published by the BBC and the government.
The Office for National Statistics send out well over 100,000 tests to random people and ask them if they have symptoms. Then they work out how many test positive and with antibody tests also test how many have had it in the past. They publish the results every week on a Thursday.
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To date both here,up north and in wales I haven’t met anyone, not one single person who has received these tests, either for antibodies or anything else! Rather like checking you are quarantining, nothing happens to many people! Shambles!
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My wife and myself have not received these letters
But our sons have
Not sure what that means
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All I can say is my wife, myself and all our friends who happen to be in nopheads classification of old buggers that should be dead, do not know anybody who has caught Covid.
Perhaps we take our responsibility to safeguard ourselves and others more than he does, so get on with your sad life, with your graphs, saving money and telling everybody what to do, we will enjoy ourselves hopefully in Tenerife in a couple of weeks, and hopefully you will not be there.
Georgie work it out, its "random" if you are not thick you are stupid.
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The figures come from articles published by the BBC and the government.
The Office for National Statistics send out well over 100,000 tests to random people and ask them if they have symptoms. Then they work out how many test positive and with antibody tests also test how many have had it in the past. They publish the results every week on a Thursday.
“Ask them if they have symptoms”
But you say 70% don’t have symptoms, so how reliable is that??.?
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Unhappy, you mention "all our friends".
Really!! do you pay them? or do they see you for the rudeness, maybe they derive some fun out of it!!
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But you say 70% don’t have symptoms, so how reliable is that??.?
They test them as well. If the are positive but don't have symptoms then they know how many have it without noticing. Presumably they also ask if they had symptoms in the past and compare that with antibody test result as well.
In other instances a whole factory might get tested if there is an outbreak and again they find lots of positives in people with no symptoms. Even in some care homes half of the most frail have tested positive with no symptoms. The same with health service workers and care home staff that get tested regularly.
It is a generally accepted fact internationally that only about 30% of people that test positive have symptoms.
The ONS test about 160,000 a week so that is only one in 412 of the population each week, so not many of us will come across someone that has been tested randomly. More likely to come across some with it at the moment as that is around 1 in 200. I have heard of someone knowing someone that has had a random test.
The ONS are professional statisticians so they state the level of uncertainty in all their results. Of course it won't be spot on but the sample size is very large and they do it every week, so it is a good measure of what is going on.
And it wasn't me that started referring to "old buggers". I only said it in reply to someones else's comment.
But when the average age of people that die with covid is higher than the average life expectancy, what does that say?
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Pilgrim, pot calling the kettle black again, as for my friends there are about 6 couples really close friends we have known each other for almost 60 years I was best man for 2 of them, we still go out for meals, bbqs, dinner parties and celebrations, as for my rudeness, I call a spade a spade if you don't like it, don't read my posts.
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Blee din Racist as well!!
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Obvious as thick as Georgie
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Unhappy!! Infamy Infamy you have a persecution complex!! Mention to your many friends, that someone said you have that complex. And ask them what they think! Might be a shock to you!
Hope your keeping well!
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Can I ask my black relatives as well ?
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My wife and I were both born in Brixton, so much more likely that we may have black relatives! Yours probably come from the Black Country!
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Unhappy I have a masters degree in maths
And please please dont talk about people and color otherwise I will set up another site and ban you
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Unhappy we class you at work in riming slang as a merchant banker
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And sorry for the rant but we have visited los gigantes for a number of years now and found everyone lovely and friendly
Thinking of you around I think you are in the wrong part of the island
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Reply to you 2 merchant bankers, we have never lived anywhere near the black country, sounds a little racist to me.
As for having a masters degree in maths, are they still using the abacus there, also its a pity they could not teach you to spell, and this is from a lad who failed his 11+, also my best friend & yes I was his best man, was a genius at maths, he never went to university, became a senior partner in one of the largest accountancy companies in the world, is now the MD of 12 companies worth millions, ( done a little bit better than you at adding up )
Also my wife visited Los Gigantes when the only properties that had been built were the los gigs hotel & a couple of villas, that is why over 35 years ago we went back and purchased property there, so we think we know a little more than somebody that can add 2+2=? about the area.
And as for your threats, bring it on, idiots like you who think just because you have a degree you are clever, try starting from nothing, leaving a job that I had just moved up into management, starting from the shop floor with the biggest American Company in the Industry and then decided to start my own company, that I then sold for a hansom profit, your a pussycat, a thick one YES.
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Unhappy, not wanting to spoil your business genius. Did you not say that you no longer own a property in Los Gigantes, and have had to down size twice at home in the UK in recent years!
A very successful person I know, said to me, that when someone is being an arse or trying to put you down.
The most satisfaction you can have is quietly knowing that you can buy and sell them.
I think I will be quiet.
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Dream on, we have down sized 3 times, the first time the castle was to far from the airport the other times & selling my business & our properties was because our son died, leaving just the 2 of us, smart arse
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I was brought up in the east end in council flats which I am very happy with for a good grounding
I was lucky to get a scholarship for maths and yes my English has always been bad
You have never lived in the east end and it sounds like you had a privilege life
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I was brought up in the east end in council flats which I am very happy with for a good grounding
I was lucky to get a scholarship for maths and yes my English has always been bad
You have never lived in the east end and it sounds like you had a privilege life
How crass can you be GEORGIE? Didn’t you read Unhappy’s’ post?!!
How can anyone have had a privileged life when they’ve buried their own child?
I do wonder at some people sometimes!
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Thanks angiebabes, don't worry he does not know any better.
Georgie, just to put the record straight about my privileged upbringing, I also lived in a small council house with my 2 sisters, a brother and my mom and dad in one of the worst areas of Birmingham, an area that they dumped all those that did not pay their council rent.
My dad was a toolmaker, my mom was a power press operator a job that was very physical and she wreaked of suds oil every night she came home, they both worked full time and never missed paying their rent or buying anything on tick. My mom was not very bright but then she left school at 12 to go into service so did not get the right education, my dad passed to go to Grammar School, but his parents, his dad a miner in Mountain Ash could not afford to send him.
The school I went to was crap in fact when I left it after failing my 11+, and moved to the senior school they told me I was 2 years behind what the school should have been teaching us, but one thing my dad always taught me was never give up just try harder, very good advice.
I do now have a privileged life, my wife and I have no money worries although we do not have our only child our son, we do have his daughter our lovely granddaughter who spends most weekends with us, she is not spoiled, but if she needs something for school which she now needs a computer with a detachable screen we will buy her one.
I worked bloody hard all my life, I left school at 15 and retired at 69 my first job was 8.00 to 6.00 five days a week, sat 8.00 to 12.00 on top of that 2 hours bus ride each day, no doubt others worked just or even harder, something the youth of today should try instead of going to university getting some crappy degree that they will never use and then expecting the country to owe them something.
I hope now you will stop asking stupid questions "but I doubt it "
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Not all degrees are crappy stuff that never gets used. I did computer engineering that covered both electronics and software, which I used throughout my career and even now in my hobbies since retiring.
Some of the stuff like studying magnetic core stores went completely out of date, and in fact was already when I studied it, but the principles of magnetic hysteresis curves are still useful to know now when using transformers and inductors, and even the 3D printer I am working on at the moment, which uses an electropermanent magnet.
It is not for everyone, and some people can be self taught, but higher education is definitely needed if the country is to be competitive in science and technology.
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As a qualified engineer I understand about education, but 2 of our friends children went to university one obtained a degree in Spanish one in Geography they ended up working in shops, what a waste ?.
When your talking about curves, my wife wont mind me saying hers have got a little larger, like my stomach in the last few years, I blame the vino, but we still go to the gym, even though we have sold the castle.
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What a sad site this has become. Sticking to Que Pasa from now on.
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What do you want us to discuss, The weather ???????
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It is not pleasant at all
Some seem to twist words and posts
Do I really want to drink with some of these people
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In my very humble opinion, I think some of you need to get back to LG and you will immediately become happier and less stressed. Everyone we saw and spoke to during our stay all agreed it’s so much easier to live in the wonderful climate and warmth of the village. Our quarantine hasn’t been too bad. Totally understand some people cannot afford to do this, and it has affected our income. However if we don’t get over again this year it’s been worth it. We all have stories of loss and hard times, those who don’t are lucky. Let’s all hope those of us who return can have a drink with others who enjoy similar simple pleasures. It’s fun guessing who might be behind the comments being posted 😉
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What a lovely post
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It’s fun guessing who might be behind the comments being posted 😉
Who is behind Georgie ??
Answers please on a postcard addressed to Unhappy c/o Los Gigantes PO Box 472 Tenerife C.I.
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No thanks, I get enough crap mail already, they could always send it to you
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GEORGIE - my granny used to say - “self praise is no recommendation”!
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I think Georgie was referring to my message. Might be wrong, but some are quick to put him/her down. I repeat that you need to get back and soak in some sunshine and relaxing atmosphere. Stop trying to antagonise each other- unless you are all friends and enjoy the sparring. 🧐
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The chance would be a good thing, just received 2 emails from Tui last night, the first telling me about my booking on the 20th, that I must get my boarding cards and fill in the Spanish registration form within 48 hours of travelling thats Tuesday, the second email 1 hour later saying my holiday had been cancelled, "and they say the Government don't know what they are doing about the virus".
What I do not understand at this precise moment there are 3 primary airlines BA, Easyjet & Ryanair who also sell holidays flying from all over the UK in to Tenerife. There are 2 holiday companies Tui & Jet2 who also sell flights, who keep cancelling everything, one of our friends if on his 5th holiday booking with Jet2 the other 4 being cancelled
When Tui sent me the first email last week & I only booked the holiday on the 24/09 they told me my holiday might not go ahead because there were no flight corridors, obviously a lie as the other airlines were using them.
I also rang them this week to get more information & raised the point about the excuse of no air corridors, when other airlines were clearly flying. I was told to read all their terms & conditions, they said it states that they will not travel against FCO advice, when I asked why they brought in covid cover to travel for that very reason they could not answer that & referred me to their booking conditions again, another con just to get some cash in to help their cash flow.
The last laughable thing they have offered me £500 extra free on a holiday booking, the only place above what we have already paid and with any winter sun is Mexico, where covid is much worse that the Canaries, no thanks I will have my money back.
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As I said before: by "flight corridors" they mean a bilateral agreement between countries to allow travel without quarantine and without advice not to go. They don't mean open airspace as the airspaces have never been closed.
So airlines can operate flights to Tenerife if the choose to but will not get many passengers while there isn't a flight corridor. Also EasyJet and RyanAir tend to do just flights. If it is a package with TUI they have far more responsibility over your welfare while there and have to provide rep service, etc. I can see they would be on a sticky wicket if they provide holidays against government advice and something went wrong.
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There is no way airlines will fly if it is not economically viable, as I have said in the past my wife was in the tourist Industry, in fact one of her jobs was to obtain charter aircraft should one be needed that was over 25 years ago, the cost of a passenger jet then was £95000.00 a day. To day the cost must be very expensive.
Aircraft being just delayed costs thousands in charges, so there is no way they will fly empty, and that is still no excuse to sell holidays or flights that they know they can't supply.
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I don't think they knew for sure the couldn't fly when they sold it to you. A lot of people were optimistic the government would open a corridor but then Tenerife's numbers rocketed and now so have ours.
It's impossible to anticipate what is going to happen in a week's time at the moment. We are considering bolting to Tenerife because we are worried we might not be allowed to go in mid November. Probably stay there until the end of March because I think winter here is going to be dire with Covid and Brexit and this is the last year we can stay as long as we would want.
And companies may still operate at a loss if it reduces their losses compared to not operating at all. E.g. Wetherspoons reported operating at a loss but they still preferred being open to closed.
I think your best bet is to see if you can book the Royal Sun yourself and then fly with EasyJet. We used to book direct with that hotel before we bought our apartment.
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I can book the Royal Sun or anywhere else to stay, there are some very good deals, we were going over to also view a property. As some of our investments are not returning the cost of the paper they are written on we may purchase a property again.
As we fly out of a Midlands airport Ryanair are the only ones flying, so we are going to give it a few days & follow flight radar to check that they are still flying.
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Heathrow excellent
Lovely in Cyprus 30 degrees sitting on beach
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Why in heavens name do we want to know that when the site is about Tenerife. Grasshopper brain.
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Careful Edward Bear, you will get him posting again & don't forget, in his eyes London is the most important place on the planet.
I wonder if he is related to Trump ?????
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Heathrow excellent
Lovely in Cyprus 30 degrees sitting on beach
You’ve blown your cover now Georgie well and truly!
Nice try but eventually we knew you’d have to push things just that bit too far trying to get reactions from this forum.
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Have a good holiday Georgie. Did you have to get a covid test at the airport for Cyprus?
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Canary Islands added to safe travel list. No quarantine when you return
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Got a test going and arriving
Could not stand the miss information on this website on what was and not happening
Needed a holiday and was worried about being beaten up by some on this website
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I've met Miss Information, she's a lovely girl. Don't know why you can't her. She speaks well of you!!
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Booked insurance with covid19 cover with Avanti. Not valid if against FCO advice but as of today the Canaries aren't, although the quarantine on return rule rule doesn't change until Sunday. So it changed in the nick of time for as we depart early tomorrow morning!
I read in an online paper (which I take with a pinch of salt) that the Canaries are going to bring in tests on arrival to Hotels because it would be too much of a bottleneck at the airport. Don't know where that would leave people like us that stay in our own property.
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Yeh, great news we are booked for first week November!!!!
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Unhappy, when are you over to LG?
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I am guessing that as things stand today, and without any clear indication of how brexit negotiations will finish, if anyone from UK is travelling to Canary Islands for a period which continues past 31/12/2020 then an international driving permit will be required as the EU will no longer accept UK driving licence? Cost is £5.50 available from Post Office (check which ones are able to issue these permits). Take your passport if using paper driving licence, plus a passport sized photograph and of course current driving licence.
I am not certain of this, but neither can the Driver and Vehicle website give clear guidance - because no one knows what will happen but if you’re in Canaries and suddenly find you need a permit, in order to get one you’d have to come back to UK from what I can understand.
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What happens in reverse Angie if you have a Spanish licence and you travel to UK ?
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Oh dear Edward I really don’t know! Guess you need an international driving permit, but as I say, it’s a guess. No one can give me definitive advice because all these finer details haven’t been discussed never mind resolved yet!
Shambles, I was hoping someone might have more information than I can find. If I find out more, I’ll let you know edward. Stay safe xxx
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Can I ask a question about masks please - are many people wearing the clear face shields that rest on your chin with ear loops, not the full face visors with headband, but the style that many waiters wear in restaurants? I would have thought they're ok if they are serving food wearing this style breathing over it. I know some are in Estepona Spain but I wondered how acceptable they are there as I find even the blue surgical ones very hot after a while whereas the shields seem better. Thanks
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Most waiters seem to wear the blue surgical ones as do we. The other common style among locals are the black cloth ones. I don't think solid visors are legal as an alternative in Spain because they don't filter they just redirect airflow.
About half of the locals don't wear them outside but 99% of the the tourists do. OK on the flat when ambling about or downhill but we have found it isn't practical to wear them when walking up the hills around LG. We live 400ft above sea level and a mile out of LG, which we walk in about 20 minutes. That needs a significant amount of oxygen, so we breath fairly hard. The mask catches all the moisture in your breath, which it has to because it is the water droplets that carry the virus. The actual virus particles on their own are so small they will pass through any filter.
So the mask soon becomes damp with heavy breathing and then it gets harder to breathe through because its pores are blocked. So you end up panting for oxygen and then it becomes soaking wet and you have to take it off to breathe. A total fail as a regulation.
Even saw locals crossing the road in front of the police station without masks.
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Thanks nophead very interesting. We would love to come over but as we don't have to wear masks outside here it is big difference for us and my husband especially doesn't think he can wear one for several hours, as we enjoy long walks there. Are the locals getting fined or are they genuinely more relaxed about the rule there than say mainland Spain? We don't necessarily want to break the rules but if there is some leniency that is good to know. Do people give the locals that don't wear them a hard time? I asked about the plastic small shields as they are wearing them in Estepona and all the waiters in Greece where we went used them too and I thought they seemed a good alternative. Do you think the rule may be removed soon altogether as happily your case numbers are dropping? Or the opposite and will be more rigorously enforced as you now should get more tourists coming ? I know they also don't wear them in most Scandanavian countries which is a big tourist market for the Canaries so they may be put off too. Thanks
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I don't think the rule is going to change soon because numbers are slowly climbing at the moment in Tenerife and rapidly in Spain, which may go into another state of alarm soon.
We haven't seen anybody challenged outside but we have seen someone refused entry to a restaurant to take her child to the toilet without one.
Outside seems pretty relaxed when you can keep distance. A lot locals tend to have them around their necks and pull them up if they get close to someone. Several we have spoken to because we know them said to do that. I have no idea what the local police think but as you are allowed to do exercise without them perhaps there is a loop hole there for walking up step hills. Also no idea if the police treat locals and tourists the same. And there are three types of police in Spain and I don't really know the difference.
It really is a pain but I can see in a busy city it where you can't avoid people it makes some sense but not in LG at the moment which is very quite and is very steep. So one rule doesn't fit all.
It would have stopped me coming but my wife wanted to come and it looks like winter will be grim in the UK, so we plan to be here until March. Who knows what will happen between now and then?
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Nophead, trying to work out where you live! Is it near Cueva Del Polva!
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We are not too far from the Caves of Dust but that is quite a bit lower, closer to El Varadero. We do eat at the La Barrica restaurant there.
We are walking distance to anywhere between Santiago del Teidi and Playa San Juan, which is why masks outside are a pain. We spent a lot of time walking.
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Santiago del Teidi and San Juan are a long way apart, almost impossible to safely walk to! You are an Enigma! Unless you are in a mobile home I have no idea where you live! Maybe somebody has!!
Answers on a post card please?
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For Santiago del Teidi we walk up the Camino Royal, which is a well signposted path up the side of barranco. It is not unsafe but it is hard work. More often we stop at Tamaimo though, have pork stew at the Arepera Girasol and return.
For Playa San Juan we walk along the concrete path to Alcala which is perfectly safe and then the clifftop track to San Juan. Pretty safe if you have walking boots as long as there isn't a calima. We like to eat at La Vinoteca which was a hoot on market day with with musicians and loads of seniors up and dancing. I don't think that will happen any more!
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Hi nophead, thanks for your detailed reply. i assume you don't have a car as you say you walk everywhere, but do you have any idea what the situation is further afield - say walking along the coastal path at Adeje? Or on Los Cristianos seafront? Is it as equally relaxed there? I know there is an exemption if outside urban areas but I'm not really sure how to interpret that. We in LG in February and could really do a break there this winter. I agree the mask rules are getting stricter on the mainland but as the state of alarm does not apply to the Canaries i am still hoping this rule might get relaxed.
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Hi nophead, thanks for your detailed reply. i assume you don't have a car as you say you walk everywhere, but do you have any idea what the situation is further afield - say walking along the coastal path at Adeje? Or on Los Cristianos seafront? Is it as equally relaxed there? I know there is an exemption if outside urban areas but I'm not really sure how to interpret that. We in LG in February and could really do a break there this winter. I agree the mask rules are getting stricter on the mainland but as the state of alarm does not apply to the Canaries i am still hoping this rule might get relaxed.
I can assure you the rule for wearing masks EVERYWHERE is as strictly enforced on TENERIFE as it is on the mainland. When walking , by law, you still need to wear a mask wherever you are, unless you are actively running or Nordic walking. Even walking onto a beach - you need not wear one actually in situ on your sunbed or towel or actually in the sea swimming, but otherwise you must wear one. Police are active in issuing fines, though how many would see you actually on the walk from Santiago Del Teide down to Los Gigantes is open to discussion! Certainly whilst walking to Alcala in August in 30° we encountered two local policemen checking people out.
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Well it isn't being enforced in LG now. And it isn't actually possible to walk up steep hills in a mask as I stated before. It becomes wet and then you can't breath through it, start gasping for air and have to take it off. It isn't physically possible to keep wearing it.
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Well it isn't being enforced in LG now. And it isn't actually possible to walk up steep hills in a mask as I stated before. It becomes wet and then you can't breath through it, start gasping for air and have to take it off. It isn't physically possible to keep wearing it.
If I can walk up Cardiac Hill in 30° heat at 74 years old then I think I have justification in disagreeing with you!
As to not being enforced in LG, Jo Lamb, Jason Burke, Holly, Lindsey and Jim and many many other business owners are most certainly enforcing the law on mask wearing, albeit politely but firmly. Newly arrived holidaymakers who are unaware of the law will find after today’s meeting between Emilio and police, that laws will be reinforced.
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We’re just back home and completely agree with what Angiebabes has said, you can’t make your own rules up nophead, if you can’t comply with the rules when your walking up a steep hill get a taxi
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Cardiac hill is nothing, try continuing up past Mercadona to the dagger roundabout from sea level, its 400ft mostly up with a flat section from the fish woman roundabout.
We are not going to use a taxi because that is for more likely to spread infection and we will get fat and fat people are the ones that die from covid.
Anyway at least 50% of the locals don't wear masks over their nose outside. We don't see tourists walking up steep hills but they all wear masks as we do. We wear then on the flat and downhill but not over our noses uphill.
Joggers don't wear masks because it would also be impossible.
We are going to try to find the thin cloth ones. They have no effect on spreading infection as they are just a single layer of cloth but they might be easier to breathe though than surgical masks. So perhaps we will give up any benefit to comply with the law, which as usual is an ass. There is no point wearing a mask in the open when there is nobody close.
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That is quite a journey by foot to do on a daily basis, but as you say it will keep you fit. And I guess
at sometime a few years down the line you could always get electric bikes or scooters.
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Quote:
If I can walk up Cardiac Hill in 30° heat at 74 years old then I think I have justification in disagreeing with you!
As to not being enforced in LG, Jo Lamb, Jason Burke, Holly, Lindsey and Jim and many many other business owners are most certainly enforcing the law on mask wearing, albeit politely but firmly. Newly arrived holidaymakers who are unaware of the law will find after today’s meeting between Emilio and police, that laws will be reinforced.
[/quote]
Not sure who these people are you are talking about but if businesses you're probably talking about enforcing wearing masks inside. Nophead and I were discussing the merits and leniency of wearing them OUTSIDE, I don't think either of us have a problem wearing them inside for 5 minutes.
The police were probably enforcing it more in August as the rule had only recently come in then.
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We usually go from 400ft to sea level and back several times a day. Went to the bank in LG this morning and will go to eat this evening.
Another problem I have is that I seem to have become allergic to my mask. I have started to get hey fever like symptoms wearing it now. Not sure why. I don't normally get hey fever in the Canaries. There are a few things in flower, so perhaps it has trapped some pollen. I will try a fresh one this evening.
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So we walked down to LG and had a meal at the El Pescador. Nearly all the locals we met on the way down were wearing masks around their neck or just over their mouth. The few that wore them properly were young. A few blokes didn't wear them at all.
We only saw about a dozen tourists in the whole of LG. They all had masks.
There was only one other couple in El Pescador, which would normally be busy. The waitress and the cook were both keen to talk and we got free drinks. They are desperate for more customers. Sad to see a successful business be hobbled by governments through no fault of their own. Governments should not be able to stop people going about their legal business.
On the way back we saw a few more locals with masks around their necks and then not another sole once we started up the hills.
The fresh mask still made my nose run although it didn't make me sneeze.
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With the new air bridge open from the UK.
Now the Tenerife government is proposing every visitor has to have a negative test for COVID prior to arrival.
For tourism in the canaries one door opens and another closes, but health may have to come before economy.
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Still do not understand people on this site, Tanemera, asked a simple question, which was expertly answered by Angiebabes.
We now have 7 pages mostly about masks again, I don't understand why anybody that would go to a hot climate for almost 6 months & then complain about wearing a mask because it is to hot & uncomfortable, because they like to do a marathon every day in a very hilly area.
The point is people who have gone there knew the RESTRICTIONS ie THE LAW, wear the bloody mask stop moaning about it, or fly back to the wet, damp & soon to be very cold UK, where you will need more than a mask to keep you warm.
Like the rest of Europe the Virus is out of control again mainly caused by people who disregarded the advice, because they thought they knew better, some who are now DEAD or even worse have passed it on to somebody else who is very ill or dead.
I have now booked our winter break we arrive December & leave the end of March, my wife & myself will be wearing a mask, we will adhere to all the rules no matter how daft we may think they are, it is called being a responsible person, its a pity others that enjoy the the advantages of Tenerife but moan about other things, we will have a post soon people moaning about how hilly it is, the easy answer stay in LA.
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Unhappy
Well said. Could not agree more.
Hopefully we will get there in January. Keep the news coming when you get there in December.
Here in Guernsey life is pretty much normal since July when as a community together we beat the little critter to death. Reluctant to leave our little utopia. Not sure how long it will continue but it is great whilst it lasts. A lesson for the rest of the world. Do as the experts say. It does work as we proved it.
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Seems they are bringing in Covid testing for visitors! No proper details yet, hope we can arrive next week b4 it is implemented.
Nophead, sad to hear about El Pecador, guess it is not really worth them opening!
Imagine that by the time you treked home you were ready for another meal!
We will be adding to the local economy next week!
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We always comply with laws while those around us don't but it is simply impossible to walk home to our apartment with a mask over our nose and we can't do the impossible.
In LG most of the locals seem to be working to the previous rule where you only had to where a mask if you couldn't keep your distance. They wear them round their necks and pull them up when passing.
Also JA keeps reiterating that you have to wear a mask between sips of a drink or you will be fined by the police. However that isn't what happens in bars around here. The staff say you can remove your mask when seated. We keep them on until the drinks arrive but don't put them on between sips as that would be mad and totally against WHO guidelines.
When in Rome do as the Romans do.
Pilgrim,
It is the same in all bars the restaurants. Only one or two tables occupied. Hard to see how they can make profit with three staff. We had a mixed meat grill for two and will not need to eat for days. It was two of each of these: large fillet steak, pork chop, smokey bacon, chicken breast, lamb cutlet plus chips, salad and a bottle of wine for EUR30.
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Quote:
Not sure who these people are you are talking about but if businesses you're probably talking about enforcing wearing masks inside. Nophead and I were discussing the merits and leniency of wearing them OUTSIDE, I don't think either of us have a problem wearing them inside for 5 minutes.
The police were probably enforcing it more in August as the rule had only recently come in then.
I too am talking about wearing a mask both outside and inside a restaurant, and the people I quoted don’t all run businesses.
Nophead you clearly have extremely rigid views on every aspect of the virus which you may be right about. However, where the law is concerned whether you are right in your beliefs fails into insignificance when faced with a possible fine. I personally don’t find wearing a mask, despite asthma, that bad. Yes your glasses can get steamy, yes they are hot, yes, your make up gets rubs off, yes your ear can hurt. On the other hand I don’t want to infect anyone, I don’t want a fine and I respect the laws of the Country in which I am a visitor.
Walking up Cardiac Hill sounds like a breeze to you Nophead. How fortunate you are to enjoy excellent health and stamina which means where you live isn’t a problem for you or your wife. Long may that be the case.
I have walked as you outline up to San Francisco from Puerto Santiago plaza, but never in August as I find the heat difficult. I never walk up to santiago Del Teide from sea level, I prefer to walk down as climbing hills challenges my breathing.
So you see, we are all different, with different capabilities, different health needs, different views.
Shall we leave it at that? You do your own thing re masks and I’ll do mine. There are no ‘winners’ in this covid world, every single one of us is facing new situations and ways of living.
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Yes walking up Cardiac Hill is not a big deal for us but it is hard work and it requires a significant amount of oxygen due to the laws of physics which can't be broken. So our breathing rate increases and eventually as we continue upwards the mask gets wet and impossible to breathe through. So unless we used about 3 masks per trip home we can't comply with the laws of the land because the laws of physics don't permit it.
Seems like the locals have come to the same conclusion.
And we don't infect anyone or get infected because, like in the UK, we avoid walking close to people, we cross to the other side of the road to avoid them, which is a much better system.
Maybe a fabric mask will work as they are not filters like the surgical masks and they are legal in Spain except in hospitals and doctors surgeries. Probably just a placebo as I don't think they stop infection, hence why you need proper ones in medical settings.
If we were fit enough to jog or cycle up the hill we would not need to wear a mask. How does that make sense as we would be panting and spreading far more water vapour?
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Did not that Empire implode on it's self, look at it today.
As for El Pescador, it is family owned & run restaurant, Domingo front of house, his wife is the cook & son & daughter wait, he will survive, we have known him for many years, yes it is sad few people are not there, but again if we don't adhere to the law there will be even less.
The only reason this virus is spreading again is because people are not doing what they are told to do by Governments all across the world.
There was an expert on TV this morning saying they had done tests & the antibodies people get when they recover from the virus do not always prevent them catching it a second time, so wearing a mask is imperative.
It does not matter what other people are doing, to be a responsible person we must do what we are advised to do, no matter how uncomfortable it is
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The cook said she was Slovenian and the waitress said she was Polish, so perhaps the son and daughter have moved on.
The UK government told us to eat out to help out and decided education and hospitality was more important than preventing covid. The numbers shot up when schools and universities went back. So I don't think it was due to people ignoring rules. The rules evolve for political reasons and are different in every country, so being told what to do by governments across the world makes little sense unless you live in Sweden.
Every other pandemic virus has wiped out the vulnerable and left a population that can live with it. This is the first one where governments have thought they could control it but they can't. It appears it will be like other corona viruses and we will get it annually. I expect the common cold was deadly when it first arrived and I think it probably still finishes off some of the most vulnerable each year that go on to get pneumonia. Most people die from cancer, heart disease or dementia. If you are lucky enough to avoid all those illnesses you get get frailer and frailer until some respiratory illness finishes you off, usually in the winter. I don't think covid19 is anything special apart from it is new while we are in the internet age.
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Exactly right what we do here just keep a distance, not every country makes you wear masks outside as the jury is out on it, even the WHO doesn't say it's necessary if a safe distance can be maintained. Scandinavian countries don't do it either so not sure they will want to over winter there as they normally do with this silly rule.
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So we bought some fancy fabric ones in the Chinese emporium in the old Mercadona building in Arena next to Legends and managed to walk home in them as they are easier to breathe through. So we can comply with the letter of the law but infection control is obviously a lot less than surgical masks.
Legends was open but had no customers in the afternoon. The waiter had lowered his mask onto his chin when we passed on the way back. We also passed workmen in the road with no masks and a British tourist who put one on when he saw us. Probably wasn't expecting to meet anybody as the roads are very deserted.
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Here we go again another expert, pity he did not read the WHO advice from the 20th Oct about wearing a mask.
As for buying masks from the Chinese must be cheap, they are obviously useless
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More expensive than surgical ones but I wouldn't call them useless. They enable me to comply with law, avoid the risk of a fine and still be able to breathe when walking in steep hills, so money well spent.