Coronavirus in the Canary Islands: Red Cross mobilizes its resources and volunteers to serve some 43,000 vulnerable people - La Provincia

Since the beginning of this crisis Red Cross ensured the maintenance of its essential programs and intensified its activity with the most vulnerable people to the Covid-19.

In the framework of the National Alarm State, the institution has launched the Red Cross Respond Plan against Covid-19 for people in vulnerable situations and the general population, in coordination with all public administrations. A concrete plan of action and response for the next two months and which aims to reach about 43,000 people from all over the Canary Islands (1,350,000 throughout the national territory) with a estimated budget of 500,000 euros, to which anyone who wants to contribute (public administrations, companies and individuals) can join.

The plan currently has the support of 620 volunteers They will materialize the responses provided by the Red Cross in the Canary Islands, through its extensive territorial network, with a presence in almost all the municipalities of this autonomous community, allowing the Institution to act from the local proximity.

On our islands, more than 20,800 people will receive attention and telephone support, 22,000 people in vulnerable situations who live alone will receive in their homes products to cover their basic needs (the distribution of 87,500 kg. food Y hygiene kits, Y 2,800 food cards and vouchers), Y 161 homeless people They currently have a place to sleep.

With this Plan, the Red Cross reinforces its response mechanisms in Emergencies, Health and Social Inclusion, and also offers a comprehensive response in all its areas of action: Relief, Social Intervention, Employment, Health, Education and the Environment.

Emergency Area

Deploys the resources and tools of the Emergency Unit in coordination with the competent authorities.

Support to the Canary Emergency Service (SUC), with the supply of Individual Protection Equipment and 6 ambulances (3 in Tenerife and 3 in Gran Canaria) for urgent medical transport in support of the normal emergency service, having carried out 239 interventions.

A Logistics Cell has been created in Tenerife to support and coordinate the resources of the Institution.
The Canary Islands Emergency Logistics Center, located in S / C de Tenerife, and the Autonomous Operations Center, located in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, have been activated for the availability of their resources.

Two psychosocial intervention teams available to affected people and interveners.
Distribution and delivery of 87,500 kg. of food, hygiene kits and 2,800 cards and shopping vouchers for basic food products.

In coordination with the Government of the Canary Islands, carrying out temperature controls at all the airports of the islands for passengers arriving in the Canary Islands by air in any of the connections that are kept open with the rest of the national territory while the State of Alarm, as a preventive measure, to prevent the spread of Covid-19. To date 3,215 temperature controls have been carried out.

Social Intervention Area

More than 12 million people in Spain, more than 26% of the population, are at risk of poverty or social exclusion, being those who are currently isolated and in confinement, living a situation of greater vulnerability. For this reason, the Red Cross in the Canary Islands reinforces its attention to these people.

22,000 people in vulnerable situations will see their basic needs covered in food, personal and household hygiene, sanitary products and payment of supplies.

Temporary shelters: 5 hostels are currently operational (2 in the province of Las Palmas, in the municipalities of Las Palmas de GC and Arrecife, and 3 in Tenerife: in S / C de Tenerife, La Laguna and Arona), in coordination with the corresponding municipalities and the Government of the Canary Islands, with the capacity to attend to each 25-30 homeless people, who are provided with food, rest, cleanliness and 24-hour security. Likewise, we have provided resources to other hostels in collaboration with the Town Halls of different municipalities.

In coordination with the Ministry of Social Rights, Equality, Diversity and Youth of the Government of the Canary Islands, the Red Cross provides a home care service for dependent and disabled people who do not have the necessary family support, who until now were receiving a service of day care centers, family respite services and occupational centers, whose closure has been decreed to slow down the pace of transmission of the Covid-19.

Health area

The Contact Center has been activated in both provinces to make calls to more than 20,800 users of Red Cross projects, identified as being at risk (elderly, disabled and chronic diseases), to monitor their health status and offer advice on prevention, in addition to detecting possible needs they may have. Likewise, this service is also being carried out with those Red Cross partners and volunteers over 60 years of age. As of today, more than 9,000 calls have been made.

Training area

The Red Cross has made an online course on Coronavirus available to the entire population (https://www.cruzroja.es/cre_web/formacion/materiales/pfcoronavirus/index.html), which has already been accessed by 245,273 people from all over the national territory and that allows knowing basic information about the Covid-19 so that they can have essential knowledge to prevent its spread. In the Canary Islands, some 8,000 people have completed the course.

Employment Area

The growth of temporary employment regulation files, unemployment and work activity are putting a large part of the population in a vulnerable situation. The Red Cross will put in place measures to lessen the economic and employability impact on society. During this period of confinement, the use of new technologies for intervention with participants in the Employment Plan is reinforced.

Environment Area

All Red Cross actions always have an environmental component and a commitment to responsible consumption habits.

50,000 people throughout Spain will receive training and awareness on the use of water, electricity, waste management and responsible purchasing.