Phew! I wasn´t about to be exterminated. As Daleks go, this one was petite, smiley, and gentle, and the thermal reader she pointed st my forehead heralded my entrance into the Hiperdino Supermarket in Los Cristianos. It confirmed I was cold bloodied and free of coronavirus type heat levels. As the Coronavirus approaches the 40 th day of Spain´s lockdown it has been announced that children under 14 years of age will be allowed out on the streets from 27 April when the next phase of isolation starts.Its caused a bit of head scratcgingas people wonder how the police will know who is over or under the age, and parents with more than one child will cope-especially if their childrens ages fall either side of the divide. Parks and gardens are still sealed off, even the mini swings and slides outside the supermarkets, but at least the young ones will get some fresh air. Lets take it in the spirit it is meant. A reward for largely good self discipline since the lockdown began, and a pointer to further relaxations when this next phase gets to its 9 th May end.

Last week saw construction work resume and with it some support services like deliveries. White vans abound now in Los Cristianos as cosmetic work begins on many of the closed hotels. Restaurants and fast food outlets have also been testing the water with limited home delivery services. It looks like there will not be a big bang announcement end to our confinement, more likely a slow drip of slackening of controls as each month passes.Tourism is putting on a bold front, Tenerife is already pushing its charms under the campaign slogan of “Volveremos” We Will Return” , lets hope the airlines step up to the mark and everybody gets realistic about accomodation prices. Our capital Santa Cruz is showing a colourful and defiant front. Some 50,000 plants and flowers have been planted in the key points of the city. Begonias and petunias will help to show that the city is looking forward. Meanwhile infection and death figures in Spain are continuing to follow a downward trend, especially in the Canary Islands. Protective masks and testing kits are flooding in from around the world, the government are trying to ensure people aren´t trying to hike up the mask prices, the Titsa bus network and handing many out fre to passengers.A robot at the HUC hospital near Santa Cruz is now capable of processing 1,400 tests a day so that should speed up the safety programme.

There´s even hope i might see CD Tenerife resume their season in late June. The latest plan is for training to start on the stadium pitch in a couple of weeks with players in individual zones. That will be enlargedto 3 and then 8 player groups in later weeks before fully open training groups and virus testing for all the squad ahead of the return of games. This is assuming all the interested governing bodies can agree on their plans. I´m still dreaming of bars reopening and a cold Dorada with good friends. At least im not getting bored and losing mind. My latest project is to build a model of St Pauls Cathedral from my toe nail clippings.