News

Siestas: Just a Spanish Quirk? And Why Do They Do It? National Sleep Society Explains

ONE word which is always instantly associated with Spain – and which even people who do not speak Spanish understand – is 'siesta', and many nationalities, including people from Spain itself, have often questioned why this is the case; how is it that this seems to be the only country where the inhabitants take a siesta? “Very few stereotypes linked to our culture have stood the test of time...

Over Half the Population 'Will be Fully Vaccinated by Next Week', if Not Before

AT LEAST half the population of Spain will be fully vaccinated before next weekend, or the end of the third week in July, president Pedro Sánchez (pictured) has promised – and figures seem to show this is a very valid claim. So far, Sánchez reveals, over 50 million doses have been administered, the vast majority of which are double-dose formulae (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca) with...

EU 'Covid Passports' Now Available online in all Spain's Regions: How to Get Yours

VACCINE certificates or 'Covid passports' recognised throughout the European Union for travel can now be obtained from each and every regional health authority website, or in some cases, with a mobile phone App. They are not typically handed out as a hard copy upon receipt of the final vaccine dose, and are generally not needed except when travelling, although in theory, a digital copy...

Summer Traffic Fine 'Myths': Can you Drive in Flip-Flops, and Other Questions

ALONG with a spike in ice-cream sales, a fan breaking down becoming a domestic emergency and fantasies of teleporting oneself to the Arctic – just for 10 minutes, then going home again – summer in Spain is guaranteed to bring one other seasonal regular: Online hoaxes about traffic rules. It's the time of year when mass confusion abounds about whether you can drive in flip-flops or whether you...

Pharmacies to Sell OTC Covid Self-Test Kits from Next Week

SELF-TESTING kits for Covid-19 will be on sale in pharmacies across Spain from Tuesday next week without prescription, health minister Carolina Darías has announced. Until now, Covid tests could be purchased from pharmacies subject to availability, but only with a prescription, meaning that in most cases, patients would simply be tested at the GP practice or hospital which would have...