John Culatto
ONE more new case was confirmed in Algeciras on June 16 to bring the confirmed cases to 330 in total in the towns of the Bay of Gibraltar.
Of this number 287 have now recovered from the virus and 34 have died of COVID-19 since the pandemic started in March, health authorities report.
These results are for the main towns of Algeciras, La Linea de la Concepcion, San Roque, Los Barrios and Tarifa.
This relatively low figure of nine active cases compares to over 4,000 cases reported in the province of Malaga.
The one case reported yesterday was the first in nearly a week when no new cases were reported.
The economic impact of the closure of business and halt on the arrival of tourists has led to nearly 20,000 people being on the dole during this time in the province of Cadiz.
A number of those affected also work in Gibraltar’s catering and tourism industry, which is currently suffering from an economic depression.
A €34 million grant is now being extended across the province as part of €165 million package provided to all of Andalusia.
It will help councils to provide training to workers at companies, especially targeting those who have suffered most from the pandemic in their workplaces.
Further measures to avoid the disease spreading have been taken by La Linea council as it defined set entry and access points to its beaches.
La Linea de la Concepcion mayor Juan Franco has demanded the opening of the local social security office.
It was supposed to open early this year but refurbishment work was delayed.
La Linea council believes that there is an urgent need for people to have access to their basic social security cash on July 21.
Migrants who arrive in Andalusia on ‘pateras’ will also be tested for COVID-19 and put into self-isolation if necessary.
Morocco, the normal departure point for these illegal migrants, is now starting to relax its quarantine that has closed its external borders and stopped freedom of movement.
In a separate incident a large blaze was put out in La Linea by the fire service close to the new hospital.
It affected an area of 4,000m2 in El Zabal and required 20,000 litres of water to extinguish.
