Graphic: IGN. There is often such confusion about whether Tenerife has a “Government” (it doesn’t) or whether the Canaries are part of the EU (they are, because they’re part of Spain) that I’ve already posted about the way Spain is divided geopolitically HERE. Now here is a video, in English, explaining how Spain is divided up, and how this works out at times of a national crisis where the devolved powers held by the autonomous communities have to be coordinated within the framework of policy determined at national level.READ MORE

If you feel at risk or infected first use the online test HERE then for further help if needed ring the free multi-lingual helpline 900 112 061. For general info use the Canarian authorities’ websites/official social media. Use 112 only for emergencies. The official Canarian Government website for the outbreak with detailed breakdowns of areas at all levels in all islands is HERE. The post below is a daily breakdown of data from that site and other information released by the various Government departments dealing with the outbreak. The original post from the start of the outbreak in the H10 Costa Adeje Hotel is HERE. READ MORE

I hope you enjoy this video from Loro Parque explaining how they work with birds and other animals, naturally, but in this case it’s how confidence is generated in birds to such an extent that we can see Blue, a Hyacinth macaw, in free flight. This bird, the video explains, is the largest parrot on earth, with a beak that can crack walnuts since it has a “bite” that is one of the most powerful in the world. Loro Parque’s work with this particular bird is vital because it is under severe threat of extinction. The Fundación has indeed saved other macaws such as theREAD MORE

Updated 23 February: Spain has extended its ban on non-resident or non-Spanish national arrivals from the UK for the fourth time to 5pm, 16 March, hardly a surprise, really. Such arrivals from Brasil and South Africa are also banned because of the variants associated with those countries but they, unlike British arrivals, are required to undergo a compulsory ten day quarantine after arrival.   Updated 20 February: I hadn’t quite appreciated how determined some people are to travel even where it would break two countries’ laws and risk any number of lives in a global pandemic but hey ho, such is human nature. An escritura isREAD MORE