Since this Friday, January 15, Lanzarote is in Phase 3 of alert level due to the health crisis caused by the arrival of the pandemic to our lives almost a year ago.
Once the Government of the Canary Islands announced the new measures and restrictions, my phone - the same one that I have made available since the beginning of the legislature to all the citizens who need me - has not stopped receiving dozens of calls, all of them from businessmen, self-employed and professionals related to the hospitality industry, a sector that has not lost hope, despite being one of the most affected by the health crisis and unfairly singled out.
Despite the restrictions on hours and capacity that they have had to face for so many months, in addition to other limitations, the men and women who love the profession have shown a great spirit of commitment and seriousness during all this time; but the sector has been stigmatized, relating it to the increase in cases of contagion on the island that is occurring after the Christmas holidays. Something that, on the other hand, all the health authorities foresaw and whose forecasts, unfortunately, have been fulfilled.
As Councilor for Tourism, Commerce, Consumption and Hospitality of the Arrecife City Council, I wish to show my solidarity with businessmen and workers of the restaurants and hotels of the capital who, against all odds and despite the new restrictions, will continue fighting to keep their premises open and protect jobs.
We all have to prevent the pandemic from becoming stronger among us and end up definitively destroying projects, both new and with years of experience, in which a lot of hope and affection has been put, but, above all, a lot of effort, work and perseverance. At this time, any instrument for preventing mass contagion is especially necessary, although - it is inevitable - it brings with it the making of tremendously hard decisions for businessmen and workers, who have once again demonstrated, I insist, enormous responsibility.
From the areas that I lead in the Arrecife City Council and with all the technical and human team that accompanies me, I offer myself to the hotel industry of the capital, both businessmen and workers and direct and indirect suppliers, to offer them all the support they need and that the current regulations and the law allow us to offer from this institution.
I entered politics to put myself at the service of the citizens and from the government group I want to continue living up to what is expected of a public representative and member of a corporation such as the city council of the third capital of the Canary Islands.
Since the beginning of the pandemic we have worked under the spirit of solidarity and teamwork and we will continue to do so, insisting once again on the importance of "working together to get ahead".
Armando Santana
Councilor of Tourism, Commerce, Consumption and Hospitality
Arrecife City Council