Santa Cruz de Tenerife Council offers three online contests to mark Día de Canarias

Contest of typical costumes

With no likelihood of any gatherings to mark Día de Canarias (Canary Islands Day) - the public holiday on 30 May chosen as the anniversary of the first session of the Parliament of the Canary Islands, held on that date in 1983 - celebrating all things Canarian, including traditional food, sport and music will have to be instead be done at home this year.

Contest of musical talents of Canarian folklore

As a substitute, Santa Cruz de Tenerife Council, is offering three online contests for Canary Islands Day, under the titles 'Contest of musical talents of Canarian folklore', 'Photography contest on prints or Canarian still lifes' and 'Contest of typical costumes', in which residents of the capital's municipality will be able to participate.

El Ayuntamiento de Santa Cruz de Tenerife ofrece tres concursos on line con motivo del Día de Canarias (Via)

Photography contest on prints or Canarian still lifes

NUMAcircuit 020 Festival begins the cultural de-escalation in Santa Cruz de Tenerife

NUMAcircuit020 Festival

NUMACircuit 2020 is a platform for the creation and dissemination of new forms of artistic expression

The NUMAcircuit 020 Festival premieres the cultural de-escalation in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The eight performances will be held in a controlled environment, with the capacity allowed by regulations, a closed list of attendees and all the hygienic measures required.

The twelfth edition of the niche festival takes place on two consecutive weekends, May 29 and 30 and June 5 and 6. The event will have two performances every day that, in addition to being broadcast on its website and social networks, will have an audience in the room.

El Festival NUMAcircuit020 inicia la desescalada

Candidate for Junior Carnival Queen 2020

Candidate for Junior Carnival Queen Chloe Breban

The focus usually is on the winners, but we want to show you all the candidates for the carnival queens in Santa Cruz in 2020, who all deserve recognition for taking part.

A reminder that Carnival in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 2021 begins with the Inauguration Gala on Friday 15 January and takes to the streets, with the various parades and parties, between Friday, 12 February 2021 and Sunday, 21 February 2021.



Chloe Breban | Gala Reina Infantil | S/C Tenerife 2020

Potaje de coles al estilo de Las Mercedes (Cabbage soup in the style of Las Mercedes)

The humble cabbage stars in this hearty soup

A hearty, traditional dish that is served in the homes of residents of Las Mercedes.

Ingredients: (for a large cauldron)

500 gr. soaked chickpeas
1 cabbage
3 carrots
2 potatoes
1 chorizo
1 piece of ham bone
200 gr. pork (lean, or rib)
100 gr. chicken
1 bay leaf
2 to 3 liters of water

For the sofrito

1 onion
3 garlic cloves (minced)
1 tablespoon of sweet paprika
1 teaspoon of cumin
3 tablespoons olive oil

Method:

Put all the ingredients in the cauldron; the soaked chickpeas, the cabbage (sliced), the peeled and whole potatoes, the carrots peeled and in 2 cm pieces, the chorizo (sliced), the ham bone, the pork meat, the chicken and the bay leaf. Covered with water and bring to the boil. Do not season at this point as the ham already adds salt.

Cooking time depends on taste, but at least an hour of cooking will be required, or longer.

Almost at the end of cooking, prepare a sofrito with the onion and the minced garlic, together with the cumin and olive oil. Before they are browned, add the sweet paprika to the pan, stir for a few seconds, without letting it burn, so that it does not become bitter. Add the sofrito to the stew and let the cooking finish.

On Tuesday 26th an official 10-day mourning for the victims of COVID-19 will begin

On Tuesday 26th an official 10-day mourning for the victims of COVID-19 will begin

Throughout Spain, a ten-day official mourning for the victims of the coronavirus begins from Tuesday 26 May, coinciding with the entry of the entire country into phase 1 of the de-escalation. It is the longest mourning period decreed in Spain, to pay tribute to the almost 30,000 deaths from the pandemic. The Prime Minister has also announced that a greater tribute ceremony will be held for the fatalities at the end of the de-escalation.

On Monday the whole of the Canary Islands will progress onto phase 2 of the de-escalation plan of the state of alarm

The obligatory photo of La Teresitas beach

It is now official: Minister Salvador Illa announced Friday that on Monday, May 25, all of the Canary Islands will progress to Phase 2 of the plan of de-escalation of the state of alarm, which La Gomera, La Palma and La Graciosa had entered last week. Along with it, will be a relaxation of some of the restrictions currently in force (although security measures and social distancing will be maintained to prevent the spread of COVID-19).

Freedom of movement

One of the main new social measures in this phase refers to the mobility of people, allowing residents to attend events or places such as:

1. Funerals and burials: with a maximum limit of 25 people in open spaces, or 15 people in closed spaces, whether or not they live together.

2. Places of worship: as long as 50 percent of the capacity is not exceeded.

3. Weddings: as long as 50 percent of the capacity is not exceeded.

4. Hospitality and retail: up to 40 percent of the capacity and minimum social distance of 2 meters between clients.

5. Shopping centers: the capacity will be limited to 40 percent. No presence of clients is allowed in common or recreational areas.

• The merchants of the Rastro de Santa Cruz de Tenerife rule out reopening despite the start of Phase 2

6. Visits to sheltered homes or nursing homes: by appointment and only one person per resident.

7. Libraries, exhibition halls, cinemas, etc: as long as one third of the capacity is not exceeded.

8. Physical activity: People under 70 years of age may carry out non-professional physical activity in any time slot except between 10:00 and 12:00 and between 19:00 and 20:00.

9. Federated non-professional athletes: will be able to carry out basic training sessions, aimed at a specific sport modality, individually.

10. Professional athletes: will be able to carry out total training. They may be exercised in covered sports facilities.

11. Recreational pools: as long as one third of the capacity is not exceeded.

12. Beaches: you will only be allowed to walk and bathe; sunbathing or remaining static at a certain point is still not permitted. The practice of sports, professional or recreational activities is allowed, as long as they can be carried out individually and without physical contact, allowing a minimum distance of two meters to be maintained between the participants.

• The Council of El Rosario is setting time bands and an appointment system to access the beaches
• Las Teresitas opens Monday, but without the kiosks, who prefer to be cautious and wait for it to be profitable
• Las Teresitas beach will be divided into four sectors to control the influx

13. Tourism and nature: active and nature tourism activities may be carried out for groups of up to 20 people, these activities should be arranged preferably by appointment.

14. Fishing and hunting: are allowed in all their modalities as long as the safety distance and the hygiene and prevention measures set by the health authorities are respected.

Use of masks in the car

The rule established in Phase 1 is continued, so that if all the occupants live together in the same house, as many people may travel as there are seats in the vehicle, provided that all reside at the same address. In this case, the use of a mask will not be necessary.

If the occupants of the car do not live together at the same address, two people can travel for each row of seats, provided they use a mask and respect the maximum possible distance between the occupants.

Masks will still be necessary on public transport, taxis, etc.

La utilización del coche en la Fase 2 de la desescalada (25 mayo)

El lunes toda Canarias se zambullirá en la fase 2 del plan de desescalada del estado de alarma

Spanish Government is considering opening the doors to foreign tourism in July, but with an emphasis on security

Playa de las Vistas Image by Enrico Lombardi from Pixabay

Only a declaration of intent has been made, without specifying an exact date for the return of tourists and no guarantee that reopening not be delayed beyond July.

After more than two months of zero tourism, with the borders and tourist establishments closed, central government have said that July could be the month in which the doors to foreign tourism are reopened and the activity begins to reactivate, although it would be done with extreme security.

What has been made clear is that during June Spain will continue without receiving foreign visitors into the country. It has also become clear that the central government intends to save part of the sector's summer season and the remainder of the year thereafter, albeit cautiously, very cautiously, even at the cost of reopening those doors several weeks after competing destinations like Italy or Greece.

This period actually coincides with central government's initial forecast of the phases of de-escalation of the state of alarm and would coincide with the completion of the three phases announced as a transition to return "to a new normality."

It was stressed that it would be "irresponsible" to open the borders prematurely and ruled out a return to mass tourism at least in the short term. They advocate going "very carefully" so that those who come to Spain do not run risks nor endanger the local population.

Safe destinations

An idea that has been circulating in the Canary Islands, is that of working on "safe origins and destinations". The data shows that the control of the pandemic in destinations such as the Canary Islands, Balearic Islands or Andalusia "are extraordinary", but this is because there is no mobility between provinces or from foreign countries, which prevents the arrival of people who could potentially be infected.

We have to be very careful, because the person who comes is not at risk, because they arrive at a safe destination, but at the same time, they must not pose a risk to the local population. If tourism reopens massively, it could be irresponsibe, recalling that the outbreaks of Covid-19 in China, South Korea and Singapore were associated with the importation of cases from abroad.

Quarantine

As for the 14-day quarantine that has been imposed for those who enter the country (currently only a possibility with many limitations), the possibility exists that this measure will disappear when the state of alarm ends.

The minister assured that the European Union understands that tourism is "an important issue" and that several Spanish ministries work to "manage it wisely". It is acknowledged that there is beginning to be interest and demand from foreign tourists wanting to travel to Spain once the situation of the pandemic is controlled and the weather is good.

Competing destinations

Italy has already announced that its doors will open to tourists on June 3 and without any quarantine. And in Greece, airports will receive foreigners from July 1, without isolations either, although it will randomly subject those who arrive to coronavirus testing. Thus, two of the major competitors for foreign tourism (especially German and British) overtake Spain.

El Gobierno tantea empezar a abrir las puertas al turismo extranjero en julio, pero incidiendo en la seguridad

[NB: Whilst Greece may be opening, the UK's current record on coronavirus is currently not good enough for Brits to be allowed to visit Greece when the country open its doors to overseas holidaymakers from July. We must wait and see if Spain imposes similar restrictions, based on how safe it considers the sending nations to be.]

Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council and the Market regulate access to avoid crowds

Nuestra Señora de África Market in Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council has reached an agreement with the Nuestra Señora de África Market over measures to be implemented in the facility to protect both stallholders and shoppers against Covid-19. This agreement has been reached after police reports last weekend arose over the lack of controls on access and social distancing.

The Market must control access, mark one-way routes around the stalls and establish measures so that distances are marked and so customers cannot touch the merchandise. From now on, the Market must have delimited entrances and exits, implement a capacity control system, ensure that all people inside wear masks and that both authorized routes and safety distances are defined on the ground between clients. Public Services will carry out an inspection this Friday to verify that everything agreed is followed.

La Recova is a fundamental part of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, with more than 76 years serving the public and that has always stood out for its excellence both in the products it sells and in the care they provide. However, last weekend the Local Police had collected various reports of numerous breaches of basic preventive measures.

Ayuntamiento de Santa Cruz de Tenerife y Mercado regulan los accesos para evitar aglomeraciones

Fruit and Veg Stall at the Nuestra Señora de África Market in Santa Cruz de Tenerife

How has COVID-19 affected the planning of Santa Cruz de Tenerife carnival 2021?

Fernando Hernández with Marlene Morreau in 2019

In an interview published by AtlánticoHoy, Fernado Hernández, front man of Comparsa Los Joroperos since 1988, talks about the future of carnival beyond the COVID-19 crisis.

For we spectators, the various components of carnival are just something to watch; an exhibition, a show, but for the groups themselves, the contests are important, because where groups place in the pecking order doesn't just determine what order they process in parades, it also affects how much work they get outside the island and how much they can earn ... that goes back into staging their performances, costumes, etc. Of course, the current lockdown has meant that these trips have not been able to go ahead.

"This year is going to be the first time since I have led the group, since 88, we have not traveled."

Hernández says that, "... many performances have been lost (almost 20%)." [These cancellations have generated additional costs for the group.] "When these phases [in the plan towards the new normality] pass, I will meet with the board and we will assess." Hernández is adamant that he is not going to mortgage the troupe nor do a bad job just to perform at all costs. It is also not clear when rehersals can be resumed. "If they tell me that in November we can start rehearsing, I wont take out the troupe," he adds.

Asked if he sees the 2021 carnival as viable, he responds that, "I see it as complicated."

As with everything else currently, we shall just have to wait and see.

Candidate for Carnival Queen in 2020

Ana Luisa Herrera García

The focus usually is on the winners, but we want to show you all the candidates for the carnival queens in Santa Cruz in 2020, who all deserve recognition for taking part. This candidate is Ana Luisa Herrera García, in a costume entitled, "Aware", designed by Miguel Ángel Castilla Abreu and representing Centro Comercial Rosa Center Playa Paraíso.

A reminder that Carnival in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 2021 begins with the Inauguration Gala on Friday 15 January and takes to the streets, with the various parades and parties, between Friday, 12 February 2021 and Sunday, 21 February 2021.



Ana Luisa Herrera García | Gala Reina del Carnaval | S/C Tenerife 2020