Forty positive coronavirus tests on El Hierro have motivated the authorities in the Canary Islands to take radical decisions.
Until then little affected by the Covid-19 epidemic, the Canaries are even an exception in Spain. They are indeed often excluded from border restrictions affecting travellers from the Iberian Peninsula.
Only here, the red flag has been hoisted since Tuesday on the small island of El Hierro – and the orange flag on the entire archipelago.
Drastic measures
Upon confirmation of around 40 cases of Covid-19 contamination, the authorities did not go hand in hand: closure of beaches and public spaces such as parks, ban on swimming, suspension of all sporting activities, cultural and social … <
The army was also called in to help disinfect public spaces.
Schools are not affected since the start of the school year is only scheduled for the 15th September in Spain.
A blow
El Hierro is one of the smaller Canary Islands, with three municipalities and some 11,000 year-round inhabitants. It is above all a true paradise for tourists, seduced by its idyllic setting and its art of living.
These new contaminations are a blow to the archipelago: tourism weighs 35% of its GDP. And El Herrio is not the only island affected by what local authorities call the “second wave”.
Lanzarote and Gran Canaria are currently registering a record number of positive tests.
