Dilip Kuner
A SOIAL media row has broken out after 40 ‘influencers’ appeared to have flouted Andalucia’s strict COVID restrictions for a four-day ‘event’ at a Marbella villa.
Despite the fact that the region’s regulations forbid people travelling between local authority areas – and with Andalucia’s own borders shut – self-proclaimed influencers have come from as far afield as Madrid, Tenerife, Barcelona Valencia Sevilla and Malaga city.
The regulations also state that no more than six people are allowed to gather as a group – but that has not stopped the 40 influencers plus backroom staff meeting up at the villa.
Organised by party-planning company Hellosaturday, it is a money-making event with the ‘influencers’ paid to attend. This may provide a loophole with exemptions to the restrictions including people travelling for business reasons – although strictly speaking this is for travelling to a ‘habitual place of work’.
The event – broadcast on Instagram – started on Thursday and is due to finish tomorrow (Monday November 16). Hellosaturday insisted to social media followers that it would respect all safety measures, with individual PCR tests, temperature checks and regular disinfection of the house.
It also stated that the event is ‘private’, although it then organised a draw offering follower s the chance to attend.
All the influencers had to do was upload videos to the social network to advertise a series of brands that were sponsoring the event. In one of those you can see more than a dozen people in the kitchen with no masks and not social distancing.
According to one of the guests in another video, not more than five people are supposed to share a room, but that does not include common areas.
Photographers and video crew also followed the action.
On Saturday they all met up at a go-kart track in Marbella and then broadcast direct from the house.
The event has attracted criticism from many Instagram users upset that the so called influencers seem to be treating the coronavirus restrictions with contempt.
