SWINE FLU ALERT IN ANDALUCÍABy David Eade
The eyes of the world are on Mexico and the southern USA where the outbreak of swine flu is believed to have caused at least 150 deaths. However the alarm bells rang in the Ministry of Health in Madrid in the early hours of Sunday when it was reported there could be eight possible cases in Spain. Two were in Gerona, one in Barcelona with others in Albacete, Bilbao and Valencia. There was also a possible case in Algeciras which brought the virus right to Ronda's doorstep.
In the intervening days the number of cases in Spain has risen to 26 – with one, Antonio Gil, confirmed as swine flu in Almansa, Albacete. The majority, ten, are in Cataluña but four alerts have been raised in Andalucía with first the Algeciras case then two in Sevilla and one in Huelva. In all the instances the victims are young, have recently returned from Mexico and none are believed to be seriously ill.
On Sunday the Andalucía ministry of health issued a statement to report that a 22-year-old woman who had returned from Cancún in Mexico had been taken to the Punta Europa Hospital in Algeciras. She is suffering from the symptoms of a light dose of flu and is said to be responding well to treatment with anti-viral drugs.
The woman returned from Mexico on April 21 and within two days came down with flu symptoms. She then went to a health centre in Algeciras that diagnosed that she had flu and because she was recently in Mexico she was hospitalised whilst further tests are carried out.
Initial tests suggest that whilst she has flu it is not the killer strain and doubts have been raised over one of the cases in Sevilla – but another in Sevilla and Huelva are still being tested. The Sevilla cases are being treated at the Hospital Virgen del Rocío and in Huelva at the Juan Ramón Jiménez.
For now the general advice for anybody contracting flu is to stay at home and to contact your doctor who will then recommend further treatment. It has also been stressed that there is no risk in Spain from eating pork products or live animals. The health minster, Trinidad Jiménez, stressed that “Spain is prepared” with 1.7 million doses of anti-flu vaccine in allocated to Andalucía.
THREE OTHER ILLEGAL BUILDINGS UNDER COURT SPOTLIGHTTen councillors from the previous Ronda administration are already in the dock as the court investigates possible offences over illegal buildings being erected in the protected Tajo gorge. Two of the councillors gave evidence last week.
Now it emerges the investigation may be widened after three more constructions are also said to have been built illegally. The original case revolved around an equestrian centre at the Puerto de la Muela but Ecologistas en Acción claim that three other illicit buildings have been erected in the same area.
These are at the Hoya del Tajo and consist of two residences and an agricultural warehouse. The ecologists claim that work has now been halted on all three and the power plus water supply cut.
Ecologistas en Acción pointed out that the land is zoned in the local development plan (PGOU) as non-urban and protected. In a statement the environmentalists added: “If they have works licences, it is bad because they shouldn’t have been granted them and if they don’t have licences then that is just as bad.”
MRS MAYOR AND TWO EXS
Ronda has a new Partido Andalucista councillor. Step forward Josefa Valle who took over her position last Friday. She takes the place of Francisco Haro who stood down for personal reasons. At least the PA mayor, Antonio Marín, should be able to count on Josefa’s support – she’s his wife. On the council she will be responsible for parks, gardens and employment – in real life she’s a nurse.
Two former mayors were in the news last week. Manuel García Rubio, mayor from 1987 to 1991, has quit PSOE. He has been a member of the socialist party for 36 years but has now abandoned the fold saying it has neither faith nor principles. The final blow for him was PSOE’s pact with the Partido Andalucista. Another former socialist mayor, this time Juan Benítez Melgar, was honoured by many people from the Sociedad Rondeña and the town’s political parties at a ceremony at the Restaurante El Mesón del Escudero. He was praised for his honesty and sense of honour.
DOUBLE AID
Ronda’s councillor for social welfare, Yolanda Ramírez, has reported that in the four months from December 2008 to April 2009 the number of families needing food and other basic items from the town hall and Cruz Roja has doubled. At the end of the year the total was 180 spread evenly over La Dehesa, Padre Jesús and Casa de Hierro but that has now risen to 300 – around 100 people per area.
STAR GAZERS
The town of the Tajo now has a new association – Ibn Firnas – dedicated to the studying of astronomy in Ronda and the wider Serranía. It is based at the IES Rodríguez Delgado until the problems at the Centro Astronómico are sorted out. The first public event will be an observation of the stars from the Alameda de Tajo at 21.00 on Thursday (April 30). Anybody interested in contacting the association can do so at: astroronda@gmail.com.
ANDALUCISTA RONDA
The Partido Andalucista mayor of Ronda, Antonio Marín, has made it clear that he intends to shortly join the socialist party and probably take some of his councillors with him. He has also entered in to a battle of words with the executive of the PA. However the secretary general, Pilar González, is adamant that with or without Marín the PA has a future in Ronda – indeed the town of the Tajo played a major role in the founding of the Andalucista movement.
HANDICAPPED RESIDENCE
Asprodisis, the Ronda based society for the handicapped, has signed an agreement with the Caja Madrid that will give the go-ahead for the bank to advance 40,000 euros as a grant towards the construction of a new residential centre for the severely impaired. The centre is due to start operations in 2010.
LEARN SCOTTISH
The Hotel Bandolero in Júzcar is staging a rather unusual event. From April 29 to May 3 you can attend a residential course on learning the Gaelic language and/or Gaelic Song. Costs range from between 495 to 512 euros and full details can be found on the dedicated website: http://www. http://www.fionamackenzie.org/Spain. Sassenachs please refrain from comment!
