POSTCARD FROM MARBELLA – CHINESE FLU: THE GREAT DELUSION

I haven’t blogged about the Chinese Flu for some time, so a bit of a rant about the idiotic dogma that’s currently being propagated by Blighty is probably timely.

If you’ve read any of my previous corona blogs, you will know that I think it’s the most exaggerated nonsense since the Observer headline of Wednesday 3 May 2006, which – if you don’t remember it – read: “A nuclear explosion would be a disaster”.

So would the Chinese Flu if it had transpired to be anywhere near as virulent or as deadly as the Spanish Flu; and for those for you have an issue with my reference to China, please be aware that this virus did originate in China and this is a fact, and not fake news. And please also be aware that the Spanish Flu did not originate in Spain.

So let’s take a look at recent developments.

The virus has mutated. Scientists predicted that this “could” happen. And let me tell you how this has happened: firstly, everything is now COVID related. This, in commercial terms, is a heaven sent excuse for laziness and inefficiency.

Let me give you a few examples. You may remember, dear reader, that my car suffered not one but three episodes of windscreen damage en route from Wroclaw to Marbella, the net result of which is that the windscreen needed replacement. Without boring you with the details, it took me a week to establish that there was only one (because of COVID) suitable windscreen available in the whole of Europe. And because of COVID, no one answers the phone at the Marbella Porsche centre, and when they do, it takes twenty-four hours for them to effect this repair. And that is after I’d waited almost three weeks for the windscreen to arrive, and after they’d managed to mislay details of the booking and then the windscreen as well. But don’t blame them – blame COVID.

And my gym has introduced new weekend opening hours. Instead of closing on Saturdays at 22.00, they shut up shop at 14:00. Any why is this I ask? Err … because of COVID.

What? Can someone please explain the logic of this to me? Instead of spreading the footfall of users throughout the day, now everyone rocks up late morning and the place is rammed between 10:00 and 14:00. Yeah, that really makes sense.

Then there’s the other piece of nonsense regarding British visitors to Spain needing to quarantine for two weeks on their return home.

But before I tell you what this is actually all about, let me tell you about COVID in Spain. What you are about to read are the facts, not some spurious government made-up statistical rubbish, dished out to a negative-minded media, who have got fat from the lack of necessity to look for an original story.

The following is a report, published by someone I know and who lives and works in Andalucía, and knows the area and what’s going on very well.

To give you an insight into the Covid situation in Andalucía and to assure you this is one of the safest places, this is a report from last week.

“The Costa del Sol (health district) has recorded 1,093 confirmed cases since the beginning of the pandemic, of which 12 were in the last 14 days.

Costa del Sol (health district) has recorded 44 deaths since the beginning, none in the last 14 days.

The recorded cases since the start of the pandemic Estepona 111, Marbella 421, Mijas 91 and Fuengirola 100… of which 2, 2, 4 and 4 were in the last 14 days respectively.

Estepona, Marbella, Mijas and Fuengirola, have recorded 4, 15, 4, and 3 deaths since the start of the pandemic respectively.

The following municipalities in Malaga province have not recorded any cases. Istán, Tollox, Serrato, Carratraca, Alfanatejo, El Borge, in Serrania de Ronda; Gaucin, Benarraba, Jubrique, Juzcar, Pujerra, Farajan, Cartajima, Parauta, Alpandeire, Benadalid, Atejate, Jimera de Libar, Montejaque, Montecorto, Torre Alhaquime, in La Axarquia; Totalan, Macharaviaya, Iznate, Comares, Cutar, Vinuela, Canillas de Acetuna, Sedella, Salares, Canillas de Albaida, Archez, Sayalonga.

Andalucia data above released July 10th”

So…you can see that the infection rate is minimal here by comparison to the vast majority of other holiday destinations in Europe.

Because those that will travel on holidays have not paid attention to the British and Irish governments request for people to stay at home and have booked foreign holidays predominantly to Spain, the government have introduced actions to curb travelling.

They have also instructed Irish and British media to encourage people to stay at home by spinning the truth with sensationalised headlines.

Interesting? Yep.

Let’s move from the statistics and start with her last two points.

Firstly, this idiotic and unfair action has been taken by the British government, which is a government led by a duplicitous and sycophantic leader who has made more U turns in three months than it’s possible to keep track of, and who wants to control the freedom of the people if he cannot manipulate it through what is now becoming government media.

This is just about punishing the Spanish economy, and artificially bolstering the UK’s hospitality industry – nothing else.

Spain – not just Andalucía – but everywhere other than Catalonia, is currently one of the safest places to visit in Europe. It is certainly safer than English seaside resorts, where occasional good weather witnesses hoards of feral young people pouring onto beaches with a contempt for social distancing rivalling their contempt for wearing masks and other government invoked measures.

Quarantine for those travelling to Spain has been introduced purely and simply to close down the holiday destination most popular to Brits, and instead, force them to stay at home. If this isn’t knocking on the door of totalitarianism, I don’t know what is. Oh yes … and to ease the pain of cancelled or aborted holidays they’re offering to reduce the price of eating out by fifty per cent in August. Pathetic.

Quarantine for those travelling to Spain has been introduced purely and simply to close down the holiday destination most popular to Brits, and instead, force them to stay at home. If this isn’t knocking on the door of totalitarianism, I don’t know what is.

Let’s try to see past this grand delusion and have some sense and clarity about what’s going on. I’m not denying that there is an unpleasant virus out there that can have a similar effect as seasonal flu on the old, the infirm and the obese. But for goodness sake, stop using it as an excuse.

I promise you a more uplifting blog next time, chic@s!

Hasta pronto.