Entries by Gazette Life

Nationwide COVID 19 sample begins

The Canarian Health Council will today commence random COVID 19 tests on Lanzarote and other islands, as part of a national project to establish the extent of infection in Spain. All over the world, experts agree that official figures of infection from the coronavirus do not reflect the real incidence of the disease. This is […]

Cover competition: the four finalists

We received a great response to our appeal for photos for the cover of our May edition, but after looking at all the entries closely, it’s fair to say that four fantastic shots stood out. Benno Hessler’s stunning landscape shot shows sunlight breaking through clouds over a Timanfaya landscape that did not exist 300 years […]

Adults to be let out for exercise from May 2nd “if all continues well.”

Spain’s President Pedro Sánchez has announced that adults will be permitted to leave the house for walks or exercise from May 2nd “as long as the evolution of the pandemic is favourable, which it continues to be up until now.” Sánchez said the government would authorise “individual physical activity” and “walks with people you live […]

How Coronavirus Swept the World

In just three months the coronavirus has utterly changed our world. Even now the speed and scope of recent events seem incredible, and the consequences are sure to be felt for years. Here’s a swift recap of the main events so far (from the April edition of the Gazette Life Magazine). The coronavirus crisis started […]

Health workers at risk

Worrying recent figures show that health workers and care home staff account for 20% of Spanish coronavirus cases, while the proportion is even higher on the Canaries. Inadequate protection material, defective face masks and lack of testing are the main reasons for the appalling level of COVID 19 infections among Spain’s health professionals, according to […]

“This drama unites us”

The British Ambassador to Spain, Hugh Elliot, has estimated that “a few hundred” British expats have been infected by the coronavirus and around “30 or 40” have died of the virus. In an interview with voxpopuli.com, Elliot said that the numbers were estimates, since definitive figures aren’t available, but pointed out that, with 400,000 Britons […]

Need To Know: Emergency

Everyone on Lanzarote and the Canaries should know the 112 number for emergencies off by heart, especially if they’re used to the 999 number in the UK. 112 was established as a universal emergency number in EU countries in 1972, and it was chosen for two reasons. First, it was quicker to dial in the […]

All eyes on Madrid

“Will I be able to go for a run?”, “When will my children be allowed to go out to play?” , “When can I buy some new clothes?”  Questions such as these are on everyone’s lips as the third extension of the lockdown approaches, but answers will not be clear until the weekend. When deciding […]

Heat & Dust

Thousands of residents and tourists who had never experienced a calima before were treated to a doozie in late February, and homeowners were left with a wearying task once the dust settled. Overall, an estimated 21,000 tonnes of dust was dumped on the island of Lanzarote after a dust storm arrived from the Sahara desert […]

Signs of improvement in a transformed world

Our football correspondent, Ian Lane, wrote this report in the early days of the lockdown. However, any further football this season – from UD Lanzarote or anyone else – now seems unlikely. Only two matches have been played since my last update, with the Rojillos winning one and drawing the other. This leaves Lanzarote in […]