Charlie Smith
BRITS are making the most of their holidays on the Costa del Sol, despite a nationwide lockdown due to coronavirus.
Although beaches have been closed in Estepona, sunbathers were still spotted by the sea soaking up the sun.
British holidaymakers were among those still walking along the town’s paseo maritimo and in the bars enjoying a drink.
“If we’re going to be stuck somewhere it might as well be in the sun,” Di Routledge from Carlisle told the Olive Press.
The 40-year-old hairdresser and husband Chris, 25, a baker, arrived at Malaga Airport on a Jet2 flight yesterday, before the budget airline suspended all Spain-bound routes today.
“I think we were on one of the last ones,” she added, “a couple of people have been surprised that we have come, but the plane was full.
“The only situation we’ve had like this was in Bali two years ago when the volcano erupted and no one could leave.”
Chris added: “Nothing like this has happened since three-day week in the 70s.”
Meanwhile, British couple Angela and David Eglin, 59 and 72, from Dover, were out walking their Springer Spaniel-Pointer cross, Eddie.
“We did not know what to do,” said Angela who drove down through France, San Sebastian and Toledo with her husband.
“There’s no information from the Foreign Office and we’re due to go back in two weeks.
“We do have plenty of toilet roll and a bit of pasta and rice.
“I said to David, we’ll get some chicken for today and chops for tomorrow, but there was nothing in Mercadona.”
In one Mercadona in Estepona, people were spotted donning masks, as many of the shelves lay bare.
A waiter was also seen hosing down chairs at a cafe with a giant bucket of cleaning product, while another man wore a mask while out with his dog.
British couple, the Eastwoods from Derbyshire had also jetted into southern Spain on one of the last Jet2 flights on Sunday and were out walking.
The retirees, both in their 70s, are due to fly back on April 1, but said they’d ‘not heard anything’ from the travel giant.
“We’ve just been doing what we normally would,” the couple of 30 years said, adding that ‘none of their neighbours had turned up to their holiday apartments’.
They said: “We went to Mercadona to buy some fillet steaks and shower gel, it was mad.
“We’ve got plenty of gin and tonic in the fridge though.
“We usually go to Bar Simon but there was a note on the door saying that it was shut.
“If Jet2 is not flying what will we do? I want to be in Spain, but not if I can’t go out.
“We’re in our 70s, we’re fortunate we don’t have any underlying health deficiencies.
“We walk everywhere and are healthy.”
A statement from Jet2 read: “In response to local measures introduced throughout Spain to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including the closure of bars, restaurants, shops and activities including any water sports, we have taken the decision to cancel all flights to mainland Spain, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands with immediate effect.
“We know these local measures will have a significant impact on our customers’ holidays, which is why we have taken this decision.
“We are contacting our customers who are currently in these destinations, and who are due to travel, to advise them of their options, so we urge customers not to call us.
“This is a fast-moving and complex situation and we are reviewing our programme as a matter of urgency, so that we can fly customers back to the UK.
“The health and safety of our customers is our number one priority, and we would like to thank our customers for their understanding.”
On the behavior of UK and other tourists ignoring health warnings:
“One man alone can be pretty dumb sometimes, but for real bona fide stupidity there ain’t nothing can beat teamwork.” – Mark Twain