Spain will not make vaccinations against Covid-19 compulsory, but it will keep a register of those who refuse to be vaccinated against the virus, it was confirmed by health minister Salvador Illa on Monday.

With a 7-day rate of 54.1 cases per 100,000 people, the Canary Islands are once more heading towards the key figure of 50 that would permit the UK to reopen its travel corridor with the islands. If the rate of infection keeps dropping at the current rate, the islands will be below the threshold by the 5th January, which is when the Spanish government reviews its travel ban on British non-residents.

María del Pilar Pérez, aged 81, became the first Lanzarote resident to receive the Pzifer/ BioNtech vaccine yesterday at a nursing home in Haría. The injection was administered just before 3 pm, as six elderly women on each of the other Canary Islands also received the first doses of the v

Why did Lanzarote’s tracing figures recently stray into high-risk territory? The answer lies with students coming home for Christmas.

Six members of a drug smuggling ring that operated off the coasts of Tenerife and Lanzarote have been arrested, which also confiscated the largest haul of drugs on Lanzarote in recent years

This is a year during which we’ve kept our distance but somehow gathered together more than ever before, even when separated by thousands of miles.

Lanzarote’s official public holidays for 2021 have recently been finalised, and we’ve printed them below to save you the trouble of heading into town to do some shopping only to find everything closed except the church.

Spain will not permit British nationals to enter until 6pm (5pm Canarian time) on 5th December, in an attempt to keep the new fast-spreading strain of coronavirus at bay. Spanish nationals and residents are excluded from the ban, which applies to all Spanish territory including the Canary Islands.

Spain has banned all flights arriving from the UK unless they are carrying Spanish nationals or residents, the Spanish government announced yesterday. The measure took effect today and it is not known how long it will last, although the decision is also due to be reviewed later today.

Today sees one of Spain’s strangest and most annual rituals, as the draw for El Gordo de Navidad takes place live on national television.

Hand-washing, distancing and face masks may be effective against Covid-19, but they’re also helping to keep flu at bay on the Canaries, with vaccines also appearing to play an important role.

There isn’t much good news around at the moment, so it seems a good time to remind any overseas holiday makers on Lanzarote that they are in one of the safest places in Europe.

While Covid numbers on Lanzarote have remained encouraging, infection rates continue to climb on Tenerife, which once again reported over 200 new cases yesterday and has seen 17 deaths in the last week.

The pandemic has sadly put an end to many of the usual seasonal events that we're used to, and among them are the traditional Christmas carol concerts by the Christmas Voices group from Lanzarote.