News
Burgos bronze
There ’ s trouble at Burgos ’ gothic cathedral where three huge bronze doors have been installed to mark the building ’ s 800th anniversary . The work of award-winning artist Antonio López has been described as an “ eyesore ” in a petition signed by over 31,000 people which claims the doors are an “ ill treatment of our heritage .” It also questions the cost of € 1.2 million , “ given the queues of hungry people we ’ re seeing , and the fact that the cathedral doesn ’ t even have central heating .”
Economy driving
Some of the cash from fines imposed on road users is to be used to help unemployed young adults acquire a driving licence . The government last month approved the scheme which could benefit those up to 26 years of age . Ministers say the aim is to minimise the impact of the Covid pandemic and thus help to reactivate the economy .
Illegal TV
National Police in A Coruña , Madrid and Barcelona have arrested three people alleged to be illegally supplying TV signals to around 20,000 homes each paying around € 50 annually . Investigators say the gang was making around € 1 million a year . Decoders , mobile phones and computers were seized during last month ’ s raids .
Fake masks
Police in Madrid have seized around four million counterfeit medical-grade face masks which were packed and ready for transport . A printer , capable of printing the CE mark which confirms conformity to EU standards , was also confiscated . The owner of an hotel , where the masks were found during an illegal gathering of 48 people , was arrested in the raid on February 17 .
UK advises on proving residency
The UK Embassy has published a list of documents which British residents in Spain can use to enter the country if they do not yet have the new Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero ( TIE ) card which is not yet mandatory , or the A4 green residence document ( Certificado de Registro de Ciudadanos de la Unión ).
The move follows several incidents which were reported immediately after January 1 when the Brexit transition period ended , and which resulted in people visiting the UK finding difficulty in returning to their permanent homes in Spain .
The Embassy says the list has been communicated to airlines and other travel operators , but says those who are already in possession of the TIE or green sheet should carry them along with a valid passport when ever travelling . In their absence , it lists the following as additional documents which will help to prove legal residence before January 1 , 2021 , when entering Spain .
A padrón certificate available from the town hall , an employment contract , a rental contract or proof of property purchase . Students should carry documentation which demonstrates enrolment in an on-site or in-person course and proof of accommodation . In addition , arrivals should show the result of negative Covid test within the previous 72 hours .
At the time of writing , travel restrictions on passengers who arrive in Spain from the UK by sea or air remain in place until March 2 , although Spanish nationals and legal foreign residents may still travel . Those arriving overland by road or rail are exempt from these requirements and are not presently required to present proof of a Covid test or a Health Control Form .
More advice for Britons travelling to Spain is available at British Government website ( www . gov . uk ) and on Facebook ( search for Brits in Spain ).
“ Reasonably normal ” season predicted
The Junta de Andalucía is expecting a “ reasonably normal ” tourism season this year . The regional government ’ s vice-president predicted last month that “ travel will reactivate in May ” as “ territories begin to open .”
However , Juan Marín , who was talking in Sevilla last month , qualified his comments by adding that everything depends on “ how the pandemic evolves and the rate of vaccination .” Nonetheless , he encouraged the tourism sector to begin planning “ now ” for the second half of the season in order to be “ more competitive ” when visitors start to return .
“ If we do not start working now ,” he warned , “ it will be very difficult to achieve results when mobility is activated , which everything indicates could be May .” Sr Marín also suggested such action would produce an autumn season in which the “ the muscle of the sector recovers significantly ” and prepares it “ to take off again in 2022 .”
The vice-president ’ s optimistic comments came as Madrid said that the combination of vaccination passports and proof of Coronavirus testing could help foreign tourists return to Spain this summer . The government says the policy is one of a number of measures under consideration in order to help the sector recover . Estimates suggest that tourism ’ s contribution to the national economy fell from 12 % in 2019 to around 4 % last year .
The World Health Organisation , however , has warned Spain against relaxing restrictions too soon . Senior emergency officer Catherine Smallwood said , “ A relative decrease does not mean transmission rates are low .”
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