December: A Roller Coaster of a Month to round off 2020

It goes without saying that Greyrocks has had a year of great luck and carefreeness in comparison to the rest of humanity!   With that firmly in mind we recount the "Ups and Downs" which have added complications to our life as Spain and particularly the Canaries have sought to protect both the resident population and the tourism component of the economy in the "Time of Covid". We had no plans to leave the archipelago but we did want - and had planned for - a Festive Visit by Chloë and Jack. This was to start with a flight on 23rd December. All four of us would then fly to Gran Canaria to see in the New Year in Las Palmas and they would fly back to UK from there, whilst we would stay until after Reyes on 6th January. Neat plan!

Greyrocks wallowed elsewhere about their arrival in October (from Crete) to such a safe place, and had breezed through the airport with just a QR code each, but things soon became more complicated! The ridiculous requirement for self-isolation on return to UK , which had impacted mildly on our migration. was lifted soon after, and a vibrant winter season was foreseen, but on the Peninsula the virus data was worrying, and the Canarian government introduced the scheme whereby tourists would have to present negative test results at their accommodation. This was implemented from 19th November, but then came the ruling for the whole nation that all people - irrespective of their residency - who had arrived from high risk countries would have to present a negative result - and this had to be the "full Monty" PCR! The UK was firmly on the dirty list alongside significantly Italy, Netherlands and Germany! This started on 23rd November. No option of doing anything on arrival and in the first few days there were tales of those refused boarding at departure! By now we were hatching plans to get Chloë and Jack over here fast for fear of cancelled flights. (In fact their return was soon cancelled and an alternative sought). From 10th December the UK reimposed the  "quarantine" on return, although in England it could be shortened..!!! All this is academic as flying from UK is banned (except for Spanish nationals and documented residents) since 23rd December.

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Note that date!! Without intervention Chloë and Jack would not be here with us for the holiday and festivities, as this was the long-standing outward flight date. But they are! He was getting few shifts with the closure of tourist attractions, and her employer agreed that she could "work from home" over here for the two weeks up to Christmas, so that is how December has panned out for our little temporary household: some rushed preparation on our part, and meeting shopping requests on theirs, an extortionate pair of  PCR tests, a flight out on 5th, Chloë doing office hours online in the freshly prepared spare room for ten weekdays, and some "fun in the sun" at other times. It took a while for them to adjust to the more relaxed practices here, and we have all been avoiding places which - whilst probably legal - seem crowded.

Betancuria

We followed Spanish tradition and had our feast on the night of 24th, and since then, as the date to fly to Las Palmas loomed they had long days out together visiting Lobos, Puerto del Rosario and Betancuria.

Now Greyrocks has empty nest syndrome, for they left for their six days away and we didn't go! It was a painful decision but we looked at the data and thought about the many things we would not be able to do in the circumstances and so availed ourselves of free cancellation on the hotel, and let the EUR 38 for flights go!

"Numbers to die for": As at 30th December the island has 40 active cases, of which one is in Intensive Care, and one is elsewhere in the hospital. Since the onset of the pandemic there have been 4 deaths, and the 7-day moving average for cases per 100, 000 inhabitants stands at 14.1.

We ain't goin' nowhere!