Let’s bring them back

They say that if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans. Just over a month ago it looked like we’d licked this thing: tourists were starting to pour back into the resorts, fully-recovered patients were leaving the hospital and new cases were among the lowest in Europe. There were confident forecasts that the late summer would see a steady improvement, allowing the Canaries to profit over the winter season.

But then serious outbreaks in parts of Spain that tourists hardly ever visit caused the UK to plonk quarantine restrictions on anyone arriving from Spain. They weren’t the first – Ireland and Scotland already had similar measures in place – but this was the decision that brought Canarian tourism to a screeching halt once again.

Since then, the islands have seen a rise in cases and the blame for spreading the virus has been variously put on young people, Spanish tourists, immigrants, and others. Blaming is, of course, easy – all you have to do is fire up your computer and start tapping.

But, although blaming and shaming might feel good for a few minutes, it doesn’t actually change much. What does change things is a sense of solidarity and togetherness, and fortunately, we see evidence of that sort of attitude every single day.

It’s becoming increasingly clear that, instead of beating the virus, we’re going have to learn to live with it. That will mean big changes in the way we live, and our children will be among the first to see those changes this month as they return to school.

It also means that new outbreaks are likely to occur in the future, because Lanzarote cannot afford to close itself off against the world. While they do, we need to detect the virus fast and ensure it doesn’t spread, – and ensuring it doesn’t spread is the daily duty of every single one of us.

Millions of people are dying to get back to this gob-smackingly gorgeous island. Let’s work together to make sure they can get here as soon as possible.

Enjoy the magazine, Shaun.