It’s murder on the dance floor

BOOGIE wonderland is the in place to go and get down with the post-quarantine vibe and spread a little Covid-19 tenderness.

High season on the Costa Blanca and people are out and about beyond the witching hour looking for a bit of late night entertainment at resorts up and down the coast.

And like moths to a flame they are drawn to the bright lights of nightclubs, discos and late bars. After all that lockdown stuff, it’s time to cast off your troubles and smile, smile, smile while dancing yourself dizzy.

Coronavirus spikes have broken out as youngsters take up their democratic and demographic right to let off steam and damn the torpedoes. The majority of the 20 to 40-year-old superheroes escape without symptoms or just risk a mild version of the disease.

Sadly, while they get into the groove, they can also help spread the plague and become the kryptonite that beats everyone else’s guard in the new - and still very fragile - normality.

The breakdown of social distancing at nightspots and family gatherings is being blamed for an upturn in contagion and the high chance of a downturn in freedom should nothing be done.

The recent spike in Gandía made national news and triggered new warnings about behaviour and how to enjoy a holiday - tourists are after all essential to the economy of Spain’s east coast - in a safe way.

However, thanks to social media it is very clear that the problem is widespread. A Spanish television crew were filming outside a Jávea club this week, the report included mobile telephone videos (everyone has a camera these days) of the chaos over the weekend.

Outside there was a scrimmage to join those already inside. Inside, the dance floor was crammed as clubbers danced the night away without a care in the world; a can-can of sardines.

Resorts

It would be wrong to pick on the one venue; there was a similar situation in other clubs. It would also be a mistake to report this was a unique blip...CBN spies in Calpe reported a similar situation and the same was true of other coastal resorts.

And so town halls are reading the riot act to owners and managers of these establishments. There is an understanding that employers are keen to make hay but at the same time avoid a call from a strange figure dressed in black carrying a scythe.

It means that all that has a glitter ball is not gold. The authorities are preparing to clampdown rather than lockdown in the first instance. Hefty fines are a first line of defence as nightspots are urged to change the record.

Extra patrols of local police will also be on duty to maintain some sort of order. That means crowd controls and ensuring people are wearing a mask mandatory in the Valencia region.

Hopefully, there will also be crew members spare able to police the growing habit of bottle parties amongst the lost boys and girls too young to get into clubs and bars but too old to stay at home.

There are wandering herds of ‘yoof ’ taking to the streets looking for some fun somewhere; their progress marked by giggles, shrieks and the clink of glass in carrier bags. The party sites are visible the morning after - bottles are spread around (but never in) rubbish bins.

Once again, it is not the act itself; after all, we were all young once but this is a highly unusual summer and the safety rules of new normality are certainly not being followed.

Parties and nightclubs are the new transmission hotspots according to the Spanish government and the night time is the right time to spread coronavirus through people brought together from different backgrounds and areas to enjoy themselves - and transmit Covid further afield.

Fernando Simón, the director of the Spanish health ministry’s coordination centre for health alerts, warns anyone affected at nightspots can spread the disease wherever they go. “One has to have fun,” he said.”But one has to learn to do it carefully.”