MARCH 2020

Last Updated on Friday, 3 April 2020 05:37 Written by Paul Tassell Friday, 3 April 2020 11:34

MARCH started reasonably well and everything was running along quite smoothly, until the news from across the world that the corona virus was getting more and more serious.

Spain took the decision to close all schools on 12 March and then on the 14th announced a total lockdown for the whole of Spain and the Canary islands. This came into effect on the Sunday morning , that was a two week period but has now been extended to 14 April and we expect another extension until the end of this month.

Many owners and families who were at The Heights at the time did manage to get flights back home to their respective countries before the flights dried up and the airport here went into almost shutdown.

This has left the whole island deserted, tourism is now nil.

Apart from food shopping , medical and chemists, we must stay in our houses or apartments and we must not mix with anybody who doesn’t normally live with us.

We have to stay 2 metres away from people in walkways and only one person per lift.

If you do have to go out for any of the above reasons, you must be on your own.

We know of couples who have been stopped outside the Heights on their way to the shops and one has had to go back.

It is allowed for the owner of a dog (and you should have paperwork on you to prove you are the owner) to walk the dog but only 50 metres from your home/complex and they must be on a lead at all times and not allow any contact with other dogs. I have been stopped by the police myself and checked when walking my dog.

We  had an incident early on in the lockdown on the walkways of B4  where children from various apartments were out playing and the parents were chatting, somebody apparently called the police and they made everybody return to their apartments.

The community areas are covered by the decree and the police do have jurisdiction on our complex.

It has been reported that an owner on block D2 has been BBQing on the walk way/stair well, and allowing his children to play outside the apartment, this is not acceptable, when confronted by a committee member he threw his arms in the air as if to say so what !!, next time the police will be called to deal.  

It is  so important for everybody to stick to the rules, stay indoors and wash your hands and stay safe, that is the only way we will all come through this alive.

I wish to state my admiration for the emergency services and health workers worldwide who put there lives on the line for all of us every day.

I especially applaud all the emergency  services, health workers and key workers like supermarket staff who are doing such a good job keeping the island ticking over.

Hopefully in a few weeks time this situation will change and we can gradually get back to normal..

AGM  We took the decision to cancel the A.G.M in May.

Even if we are released from lockdown  flights are virtually non existent, its unlikely we will be allowed  to have mass gatherings so soon.

We will look at the situation later in the year.

All that’s left for me to say is PLEASE STAY AT HOME AND RESPECT THE RULES.

STAY SAFE      Paul