BILL AND CLAIRE

Good Post..

Thomas Bern

I fully agree and am grateful for your post. Hope many read it and understand the meaning.
Thomas

Thomas Bern

This "bad flu"---seriously?

BEVS

This isn't a 'bad flu' in any way and shouldn't be confused with that. This is a novel virus let loose . It is a global pandemic.

People should be incredibly concerned & realise that this is dangerous & difficult on many levels and thereafter use common sense in understanding this.

Jon-Bxl

Yes of course, social pressure can be as strong as legal pressure. Whilst the countries have different laws on this subject, I place my trust in each countries response, and I have no criticism for example that e.g the UK + Finland aren't following exactly the same laws as e.g Spain + Italy. Each country has professionals advising them, we in the UK have some of the best in the scientific community worldwide. I am not one, in this speciality, but I trust them. I do suppose, however, that it is a matter of time before before we all merge, as mentioned.

I know that the UK hospitality community are reeling from lack of customers socialising, and for example have expressed concern that the UK government didn't make shutdown mandatory, which would mean that they had some recourse to insurance to help.

We have been 100% housebound now day 4. We are following the legal rules and understand and follow the non-legal ones too, using our discretion, as we did last week when Portugal was open.. We've planned a weekly shop already, don't panic buy and will only leave the house today to take out the bins a 5minute walk through our community. I will of course avoid contact with others - as I hope they will do for us. My doctor has sent me a prescription through email as my prescription meds will run out, as I only brought enough for this stay, well before these shutdowns were announced. I will combine the pharmacy visit with the weekly food shop, for which I will try and use the smaller 'corner' food shops, to give the locals some business (if they are open) . I am told that the chemist will accept a Belgian prescription and can check on the computer for the Spanish equivalent products. Luckily for me these are non 'life threatening' - if I have to stop them even for weeks. Also we have some time before the next full-moon when I change... !!

We haven't been in town, but can someone tell me if the smaller shops are open, please? I know our shop is open in CE 11 - 15:00, we will use that, but if in town anyway I will also pop into one for fruit, veg, milk, water etc. Only one of us can go out at a time, for the legally accepted travel, I am told.

We are lucky, we have a terrace for fresh air, no immediate neighbours to pass it too ..... and UK, Belgian, French and Netflix TV! via internet.. As long as the internet connection can withstand all this extra usage from home - (especially multiple streaming HD video!) we have some distraction. Our phone company has also increased the package significantly and we have easy and free extra communication with friends and families and remain fully connected with the outside world. Our flight back was cancelled - so we are ready for the long haul here. But we are still looking at options to go back, where these experiences will have to be followed, anyway, as Belgium have similar laws.

However we should also consider the less privileged. They are the hardest hit, and I heard that the panic-buy items are often the staples for them. So I propose that you add items to your shopping list and plan these in advance. In the UK most supermarkets have a food donation point after the tills. Here is a link below with information on what is best to donate.

On that point can anyone tell me where I can find an open equivalent donation point in Ayamonte, please?

Jon

https://www.trusselltrust.org/get-involved/ways-to-give/donate-food/

You will get to this page, with onward links.

Items to donate

We always welcome donations and promise to use them to provide help to adults and children in crisis.

Take a look at what’s in a food parcel to see what items to donate, and don’t forget that food banks also accept essential non-food items such as toiletries and hygiene products, helping people in crisis to maintain dignity and feel human again.

Before donating, please check with your local food bank to see what supplies they are currently in need of.

limey610

Good post, totally agree.

As we are all, hopefully, strictly observing the government orders we all are spending many hours watching the news and searching for more on the internet. Please do not be distracted by wishful thinking or ignorance. I have my 83 year old mother staying with us rather than sending her back to USA or Canada when we could. We felt that here was a better place to self isolate. She only recently recovered from pneumonia so is in the most dangerous category. My fear is that whilst we take every care to minimize all contact that others don't and this will only lead to the 15 day period extending to much more.

A reasonable expectation is that this isolation will be extended for at least a further 15-30 days.

bxpuser24710519

I have many concerns, one of them is how are non drivers who do not live near shops/bank/farmacia etc meant to get to any of those things ? There are quite a few of us in Costa Esuri. Do we still have bus service, are the taxis running. The change in the rule to one only one person per car rules out friends taking you if you are both happy to be in the closed confines of the car. Does anyone have a reliable, up to date, link to local instruction/recommendations ? they can change so fast. Stay safe everybody.

Jon-Bxl

Update: Our airline co. shut down all flights from Saturday. No flights till April 19... but that could easily extend. There were no earlier choice with our airline, fully booked.

We have found a flight back - we got the last 2 seats, on another airline. There was one option of a single seat, but no way would we separate. By not taking the tickets we effectively signed up for at least a month more here... minimum. Not a bad place to be as we love it here!

All the family + many friends are there: Many friends are here. It was a decision that we had to make based on several factors. A bit like that pop song. ' Should I stay or should I go'

• In Belgium we have similar laws on isolation - so the contact with family and friends is exactly the same. Phone calls, internet etc. So we are going from isolation to isolation.
• Here we are isolated in an area of lower infection rates than other parts of Spain. In Brussels we live in the EU quarter, where there many EU citizens from all over EU who fly a lot. We are going to the 'big city' from the 'country'
• I am sure that we are uninfected, but I'm no expert. We've actually been effectively fully isolated for a week now with one short trip to an empty resto in Portugal and a shop observing strict controls. Having cancelled our weekend socialising last week. Other than that, no human contact, for a week. No symptons for a month.
• We always fly direct. Now, to go back we do Faro - Lisbon - Brussels. The flights are fully packed, the airports will be too, I suppose, as full-flights suggest that everyone is getting out before flights stop. The new vs old journey time (hence human contact) has doubled: There is an extra crowded airport to use on the list.
• The contact with others will go up +/- infinitely more. However infection rates aren't 100%
• So whilst I feel that here we are virus-free, the chances of us getting this virus is significantly higher.

We are not in fear, we are in the 80% low risk group. Hence we are going - on balance. But of course, are concerned about the negatives of this decision. Which could be the worst - or last decision we ever make!!

Famous last words + Carpe diem!

Now we have to understand the rules around the State of Emergency that Portugal has announced today, and I wonder if we can even get to the airport. In that case we are set up here for the long haul. As per my last post we are so lucky to have choices.

Decisions Decisions!! What would you do in this situation?

Jon

thegolfer

Stay put and not risk yourself or others, that is the sensible and most responsible thing to do.

Jon-Bxl

Taxi - Joe told me that there would be a taxi service. But that was at the weekend, things change so fast.

Our friends whose parents were visiting, took a taxi to the airport on Tuesday. So they were 3 total in a car from the IC side of town. So they drove through town, so past the police station and through the border with three in a car. No problems.

I dont know about the bus but please check with Joe or any other taxi service you use.

Stay well
Jon

EsuriJohn

we have seen the local bus yesterday late afternoon turn up towards Colinas so it does seem to be running.
i have also seen Joes taxi around Lomas so he may still be able to provide a service.
Just heard that the local shop is now closed just as I was to go for bread 🥖

Martin mc

Does anyone know if you’ll be allowed to cross the bridge into Portugal to catch your flight home to the UK.

regards

martin

guesswork

You can go to Faro Airport

Re Esuri Shop. It is now closed. Amalia is worried about Manolo catching the Virus

Alejandro is still operating his Taxi. *34 600 635 013. Best contact him by Whatsapp

Jon-Bxl

Yes - by chance we were doing the bins, out for the first time in days.... we passed neighbours that (like you) just came back from the shop to find it shut. Around 13:45...

We then saw Amalia and Jose Manuel, who live opposite getting into their car. Good news their grandchild has been born.......

But there was a problem that we didn't quite understand regarding the shop. Sorry we don't speak Spanish, but if I understood correctly they have to go to Ayamonte for stock..... and were busy so we didnt press..

Jon

Jon-Bxl

HI GW our messages crossed ... are you saying the shop is closed temporarily .....or more than that please? You are close to the local situation.

They both got into the car together in the front seats..... when we saw them just a bit ago...... not something to do with the virus perhaps....

Now .................I am doing 'Guesswork'

Jon