Vaccination is the great hope of 2021 – the key to kicking Covid-19 out and returning to something approaching the normality we lived in until March 2020. Everything from major national economies to the ability to hug a loved relative depends on getting this right, and the Canaries seem to be off to a good start so far.

With gatherings currently limited to two people on Lanzarote, it’s no surprise that the carnival parades, which were due to start on 15th February in Arrecife, have all been cancelled. However, the Cabildo’s Casa Amarilla has just launched a virtual exhibition that celebrates some of the most iconic sights of the island’s biggest street party.

The PSOE, which is the majority governing party in Spain and the Canaries, has demanded the immediate resignation of Susana Machín, the Health Councillor for La Palma’s Cabildo, and two other councillors after they were discovered to have received Covid vaccines before their allotted turn.

An old man stands outside Tías Health Centre, clearly furious as he demands to know when he’ll get his Covid vaccine. “I feel neglected” he tells the attendant, loudly but politely “It’s like a fourth-world country.” Later, he explains he’s 73 years old, with diabetes, heart trouble and other conditions, and is tired of the promises of the Canarian Government.

Much of the island has already seen light rainfall this morning, but it’s likely to get heavier and colder, as a polar depression from the north-west settles over the Canaries.