The mayor of the Spanish holiday hotspot Benidorm has announced that they will not introduce plexiglass screens at beaches to protect tourists from COVID-19 as it will result in unbearable temperatures for holidaymakers.
Instead, Toni Perez, mayor of Benidorm in the southern Spanish province of Alicante, said they were looking at ways to reduce numbers on the beach.
He told local media: “We have been rejecting the idea for the last 20 days because it would make our beaches unrecognisable.”
Perez said that screens to separate holidaymakers would stop the airflow at city beaches like Benidorm and the glass would raise the temperature to very high levels.
He said: “Imagine how hot the sand would be in the months of July and August if there’s no wind.”
According to reports, the council is working on alternative plans for controlling the volume of people on the beaches and on how to maintain a safe distance between those who do make it onto the sand.
Peres told local media: “Our beaches were always very clean, but now we have to be extra careful regarding health issues.”
Last month, several Italian cities revealed that they were considering the use of similar screens made from anti-bacterial fabric to allow beaches to open for summer while keeping tourists safe from the virus.
The screens were designed by Edilcontract, a company based in Cattolica, in the north-eastern Italian region of Rimini which specialises in outdoor and interior decoration.
The screens are reportedly made of a soft, breathable, anti-bacterial fabric and would help enable parasols and sun loungers to be placed apart at safe distances.
Company owner Andrea Baschetti told local media that “some days ago, we presented our proposal to the beach operators”.
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Story By: Jonathan Macias, Sub-Editor: Michael Leidig, Agency: Newsflash
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