the island's town councils have begun to suspend street markets as Lanzarote enters health alert level 3 due to Covid.
Arrecife Town Council has already decreed the closure of the traditional agricultural market next to the Church of San Ginés, which will come into effect this Saturday, and Teguise has also announced the closure of the La Villa market until further notice. “In order to guarantee the health of citizens and compliance with the security measures imposed by the Government of the Canary Islands, it is our responsibility to temporarily suspend the market activity until further notice”, said the councillor responsible for the area in Teguise, Eugenio Robayna.
Both institutions also remind that, since last Wednesday, different public attendance facilities have been closed, following the measures agreed between the town councils of the island and the Cabildo, which also suspended their leisure, cultural, sports and senior citizen activities.
In the case of Arrecife, the municipal sports facilities, as well as the socio-cultural centres, playgrounds, the House of Culture, the House of Youth, the Municipal Library and the Civic Centre will remain closed to the public until further notice. The mayoress of Arrecife has asked citizens to "respect the protocols and not to lower their guard", as well as asking residents for "caution and collaboration to reverse the infections, especially when Lanzarote has entered alert level 3".
As for Teguise, it is reminded that the socio-cultural centres, premises of senior citizens' associations, playgrounds, gymnasiums, libraries and study rooms of municipal ownership will be closed.
Teguise extends the possibility of occupying public land for bar terraces
On the other hand, Teguise Town Council has decided to extend again the space for the occupation of public land for the terraces of bars and restaurants, so that they can make use and special use of the public land and thus compensate for the limitation of customers per table, without implying a tax burden.
“We are studying how to help the self-employed and small business owners of Teguise because they are facing a very delicate moment in the development of their activity due to the new restrictions, which, although we do not question them at a health level, we do demand urgent and direct responses and aid from the Government of the Canary Islands”, said the mayor, Oswaldo Betancort.
“The local administration is the closest to the citizen and we know in detail what the needs of our neighbours are, and that is why we have reinforced the investment in the Social and Employment area, however, we are tied hands when it comes to mitigating the negative impact on the business sector that suffers the unforeseen effects of the pandemic, and now even more so, in these weeks of maximum alert”, explains Betancort.
“While we are overcoming the figures at a health level, the Government of the Canary Islands and the island must avoid the destruction of employment and the closure of small businesses, the hospitality sector, the restaurant sector, the sports sector and the self-employed of Teguise and Lanzarote, enabling credit lines so that local institutions can rescue those who are having the worst time”, concludes the mayor of Teguise and regional deputy.
