Tag Archives: covid

well boo hoo and fuck you

27 Tuesday Jul 2021

Posted by in coronavirus, covid, friends, health & happiness, musings

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virus 3d illustration

Who me angry?? Whatever gave you that idea?  🙂

I had something happen today that puts my mind somewhat at rest. For now. It doesn’t actually keep reality at bay, but it’s a much needed stopgap. Some breathing space. And it might be my last chance so I hope I don’t fuck it up.

Meanwhile I had to cancel a work trip to Valencia this week. I’d been commissioned by Decanter to do another of my travel articles for them, but with Covid cases spiking like crazy the past couple of weeks, including lots of breakthrough cases, I decided to stay put. Sure, things probably aren’t much worse in Valencia than in Sevilla, but at least here I am mostly in my own home. Five days away would mean being out and about all day long, meeting with lots of different people, eating out for every meal, staying at hotels, not to mention five hours each way on a train. And well, just… no.

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fully vaxxed!

28 Monday Jun 2021

Posted by in coronavirus, covid, sevilla

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vaxxed

This is me… fully vaxxed! Had my second jab of Astrazeneca today (so far so good). There was a bit of a mix up with the dates. I had thought it was scheduled for July 1st, and indeed said as much on a post here. But the other day I checked my calendar and I had it down for today, June 28th. So I thought best to go down to my health centre today just in case as I didn’t want to miss my appointment. Sure enough, I wasn’t on today’s list, but they let me in anyhow, since I was already there. It’s actually better timing this way as two weeks tomorrow I have my first tapas tour in over 16 months (!!!) and this way I’ll feel safer doing it.

And so now I am back at home waiting to see if I get any icky side effects. Hope not!

masks off!

25 Friday Jun 2021

Posted by in coronavirus, covid, sevilla, spain, welcome

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no masks

So first of all… that’s a misleading title, like many of the headlines I’ve been reading this week about Spain returning to “life without masks”. What IS true is that from Saturday June 26th people are no longer required to wear masks outdoors IF they can maintain a distance of 1.5 metres between people not from their household. Which, as you can see from that photo, is not actually possible in city streets. Heck, some streets in Sevilla are barely 3 metres wide. The other thing the media has been neglecting to point out is that we are still required to carry a mask with us at all times or risk a 100 euro fine if caught without one.

Meanwhile, in spite of the central government’s decision, the regional government in Andalucía is asking us to keep wearing masks everywhere due to our continued increase of infections (we have the highest Covid rate in the country and the EU Council has placed us in their “high risk” level). Given that the Delta/India variant is highly contagious, I am really hoping people will be sensible (fingers crossed). Because this pandemic is far from over.

“suddenly” amber listed? wtf did you expect?

04 Friday Jun 2021

Posted by in covid, the new now, travel

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covid holidays

Mixed messages from several governments has led to confusion over whether it is safe or appropriate for people to travel abroad to an amber list country for a holiday. So let me answer that for you: No and No. Spain is still on the UK amber list, and as of yesterday, hey so is Portugal. So all the people presently holidaying in Portugal have to get back home lickety-split, or else face expensive testing and quarantine. Some are having to now pay quadruple for their brief holiday in the sun, rebooking flights etc.

Meanwhile, Spain very stupidly and selfishly (gotta get those tourist bucks, who cares if we die?) opened its borders to all UK travellers on May 24th, allowing them to come here without any sort of testing or proof of vaccination, while the “Indian variant” (now known as Delta) makes up more than 75% of the new cases in the UK, and has been shown to be far more contagious and more resistant to the vaccines we have been using. Meanwhile we require EU travellers to show proof of vaccination. WTF?

I’m hoping that the prospect of having to get tested twice and also quarantine upon arriving back in the UK will discourage most from coming. But it still floors me that anyone would even consider going to another country without being tested and vaccinated first. You’d almost think they don’t give a shit about possibly transmitting the virus to us.  Here’s hoping that by September we will have a clearer idea of what’s what. Until then I’m staying put.

it ain’t over…

02 Wednesday Jun 2021

Posted by in coronavirus, covid, sevilla, spain

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aint over

While I wait for my second jab of Astrazeneca I am maintaining my STAY AS CAREFUL AS POSSIBLE stance because, well, why wouldn’t I? Gotta admit it’s hard though, and it gets tougher all the time. I miss seeing friends, and travelling, and I MISS HUGS. With things “opening up” the past couple of months I’ve still had to tell visiting friends that I can’t meet up with them, and I have also had to turn down invitations to media events for gastronomy & wine stuff and restaurant openings. Today was particularly disappointing because I’ve been looking forward to this one restaurant opening for AGES and then had to decline the invite for the big opening media dinner tomorrow. It’s even worse with friends because I worry that I am making them feel like lepers. But I just can’t.

Steeling my resolve was finding out yesterday that a friend of mine in Sevilla (40-something) has caught Covid from their partner who was working out of town… they are now both sick as dogs. Partner has had one vaccination shot. Which not only still left this person open to catching the virus but also to passing it on. Yikes.

The news about all the recent more contagious variants leaves me boggled as to why Spain is opening up to tourists who will arrive here untested and unvaccinated. Further away, Las Vegas has totally reopened, just like before, with no masks or social distancing required in their packed casinos. Meanwhile, even further away, Melbourne is tracking and tracing everyone possibly responsible for the recent outbreak of… 12 people. Fuck, we had 400 new cases just last Saturday and I doubt anyone is tracking them. There is no continuity here.

It’s basically a global shit show with some countries doing better than others. I don’t think we are doing that well in Spain, though I do appreciate the continued mask mandate. Once that’s gone we’re fucked, it will be like opening the coronavirus floodgates. Because we still need to get through not only this “experimental” summer (we’re all guinea pigs folks), but also regular flu season next winter, combined with the new Covid variants. There’s already talk of booster Covid shots next November.

I am tentatively thinking about day trips to Jerez and Cádiz in August, by train. And maybe a longer visit to my beloved Málaga in September. I haven’t been on any sort of public transit since March 2020. In Sevilla I have taken maybe 3-4 taxis for hospital appointments, always with the windows rolled down. Otherwise I walk.

Sometimes it feels like all my efforts are in vain when I see so many people flouting the rules and, generally, being selfish assholes. But I can only do as much as I can do. And so I keep doing it, no matter how many times I’m criticised for being a “Debbie Downer”. Because really, I just prefer being alive, and helping you stay alive too. xx