OUTRAGE OVER SCAREMONGERING
Reports that have enraged residents and businesses claiming Spain will return to lockdown have been denied by the authorities
COSTA businesses are up in arms over a scaremongering report that appeared on a Costabased English language free newspaper website on Sunday stating the government will place Spain back under strict lockdown on September 18.
The report included vague quotes from unnamed MPs and assured readers that Pedro Sánchez's government will order the lockdown on that date.
What the article fails to mention is that the same report published by a French newspaper last week was categorically denied by the ministry of health.
However, the damage to the Costa Blanca community and its essential tourism trade has been done. Well-informed holidaymakers and business owners are now calling for action against such reports that do irreparable damage to the region.
ON Sunday a well-known free English-language publication posted an article claiming that Spain was going back into lockdown – giving a specific date of September 18.
Unsurprisingly, this caused mass panic amongst residents and those booked to come to Spain on holiday – and may have put many off from making a future booking.
With many businesses on their knees, especially in Benidorm, and begging for Britons to come back to their resort, there was absolute fury that a newspaper which should be supporting them had published an unsubstantiated and sensational story.
There was absolutely no credible evidence and certainly no official confirmation from the government about future border closures or a September lockdown.
Reactions to the article, which has only appeared online but not in print, was positively venomous.
Joanne Whearity wrote: “Absolute rubbish. I have blocked them from my news feeds.”
Lucy Young, a prolific resident blogger and champion of Benidorm, with a huge Instagram and YouTube following said: “Everyone needs to go on the page and write a review.
“Their stars will go down for every bad review.”
Benidorm businessman Ashley Price, owner of The Corner Bar in Benidorm’s Rincon de Loix said: “I can’t really put into words how much it infuriates me to see misleading ‘news’ headlines.
“It’s hard enough to contend with when it’s being sprayed by the big UK tabloids.
“But when it’s being done by media outlets here – the very organisations who rely on revenue from the businesses they are negatively affecting with these stories – it’s just incomprehensible.”
Even Spanish media outlets were appalled at the headline grabbing article, with the N332 Facebook page, which has over 185,000 followers posting a statement that ‘there is no official confirmation about a new lockdown’ in reply to the rumours spreading following the publication.
There has also been a backlash from other Benidorm business owners, with one even producing T-shirts and face masks to allow their clients to show their anger.
Claire from Cru Property Management told Costa Blanca News: “I think it’s absolutely disgusting.
“We had 12 bookings by UK residents cancelled purely on the back of this post.
“Many people in the UK that are frequent travellers to the area read the online version and unfortunately believed it.
“Twelve cancelled outright and a further three contacted us to clarify the information before deciding what to do.
“Luckily we convinced them it was a total fabrication.
“Financial loss to the homeowners we represent is in the region of €27,000 and for us as a company, around €3,000.”
Last week, the mayor of Villajoyosa had to deny another scaremongering report that the town was about to be placed under local lockdown due to a surge in cases detected.