Governmental Instructions re the Pandemic

I understand some people are considering ignoring the recent Bando (Town Hall notice) prohibiting use of the municipal sports facilities etc. There may also be other restrictions imposed which the authorities deem necessary.

I understand that the punishment for breaching any of these restrictions is imprisonment and/or a fine of up to €600,000.

As of today restrictions on all movement is being imposed in Madrid,Valencia and other areas to the North of us. The instruction prohibits peoples movements to only go out to work, supermarket health centre or chemist.

It is quite likely that this restriction will be imposed on the rest of Spain tomorrow or Monday. This would restrict all persons from moving about unnecessarily. All shops, bars and restaurants (with the exception of supermarkets, chemists and petrol stations) could also be closed but that instruction has not yet been issued for our area. But check with the latest press releases at

https://www.mscbs.gob.es/gabinete/notasPrensa.do

https://www.lavozdealmeria.com/

Namaste - The Healthy Greeting and an Interesting Site

This is now going global and is a convenient way to avoid the embarrassing not-shaking-hands thing

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-india-51854798/coronavirus-indian-greeting-namaste-goes-global

This is an interesting site showing the percentage risk of each municipality on a day by day basis. Thanks to Hans for this

https://www.lavozdealmeria.com/noticia/3/provincia/188580/cuales-son-los-municipios-almerienses-con-mayor-riesgo-por-el-coronavirus

Coronavirus Town Hall Notice

For the purpose of best practice regarding the coronavirus pandemic the following advice/instruction applies for our municipality for a period of 15 days from today. The full bando is below.

All public events, festivals and activities are suspended.

Also suspended are all sports activities, workshops, courses and meetings in all our premises including the football pitches, the sports hall, the library, the theatre, rooms below the library, the campsa building, gymnasium, and the room by the post office.

All citizens are advised to follow the recommendations of the office of the Consul of Health of the Junta de Andalucia and the Ministry of Sanitation.

The Town Hall will continue as normal but we ask that people restrict their visits to the Town Hall as much as possible and use electronic communications.

The reason for these actions is to help restrict the progress of the COVID19 virus in the municipality. Quantities of hydrochloric gel will be available in the schools and at the Town Hall.

We consider these actions necessary.

Impact of Coronavirus

Following advice from regional authorities the Mayor has asked that I work from home as much as possible due to my age!!

After today (Thursday 12th) Jose Manuel is looking after the office stuff but I will still manage all the issues by working from home and will of course take phone calls, emails etc in the usual way. There should be no impact on how I can do my job.

Water Interruption

Tomorrow, Thursday 12th March from 0800 until 1530, the water supply to most of Alfoquia will be interrupted due to work by Galasa in Avenida Andalucia.

UPDATE

We have now been told by Galasa that the water supply will not be cut off tomorrow they have delayed the work until Friday or Monday and will notify us when they decide.

Cartagena Trip Cancelled

Sorry folks but due to the Coronavirus we have had to cancel the trip to Cartagena.

If you have paid for the trip please contact me to obtain a refund.

Coronavirus Spain

This advice is ancillary to and and does not replace that which is shown by the Spanish National and Regional Health authorities official sites, links to which are shown below. It is anticipated that further updates will be provided in the near future.

As most of us know, Coronavirus is spreading throughout Europe and,
although it is not a major danger, it has the potential to have
adverse health effects, particularly in the elderly. In Almeria to date there has only been one identified case, that of a 28 year old man who had returned to Almeria from Milan, but he was treated, recovered and is back home. It is possible that the virus could affect our local municipality, but by being aware and understanding the current situation, we can reduce the risk to
ourselves and our community.

As you can see from the advice of the Spanish and British health
authorities, thorough hand washing is one of the most important
actions we can all take. If you have any symptoms, such as sneezing,
shortness of breath or fever, and you have been in a country where the
risk has been high, or have had contact with a person who has, it is
recommended that you self isolate and contact 112 or the new designated Coronavirus helpline number of 061. If you have a cough or sneeze, cover your mouth
with a tissue and dispose of it.
Also, whenever possible, avoid crowded places and try and keep a distance of one metre from other people.
Of course, it is emphasized, that if you have these symptoms and suspect you could
have the disease, DO NOT go to the doctor or health center, but
contact Health Responde in the mobile phone application (Salud Responde available at all App stores) or by phone at 955545060 or on the above Coronavirus hotline 061.

One of the main sources of potential infection (outside direct
infection by the drops of an infected person sneezes or coughs) is
transmission by touching a contaminated surface (door handle, chair
arm, handrails, etc.) and then touching your face. Consider all
external surfaces that could be a source of infection, such as ATMs,
money, doorbell keyboards, countertops, etc.
The coronavirus survives on surfaces such as paper for 4-5 days, in
wood and glass for 4 days, in plastics for 9 days.
So, the biggest protective act we can all take is to stop touching our
faces and get used to washing our hands well or using disinfectant gel
after touching any commonly shared surface.
Apparently, touching any contaminated surface for 5 seconds can
transfer 31.6% of the viral load!
Any shared surface area should be subject to a good cleaning regime
with water and detergent and then apply disinfectant. A recent study
found that a solution with bleach at 1% reduces the infectiousness of
surfaces.


For the latest and most authoritative advice check with the below links to official health sites. You may need to use a translator on some pages but some have the option for English version.

 https://www.mscbs.gob.es/profesionales/saludPublica/ccayes/alertasActual/alertActu.htm

 https://www.mscbs.gob.es/en/ciudadanos/portada/home.htm

 https://www.juntadeandalucia.es/organismos/saludyfamilias/areas/salud-vida/paginas/Nuevo_Coronavirus.html