Covid-19: Gibraltar cross-borderers are the first Spaniards to be vaccinated

Audio 01:14

Spanish cross-border workers will likely have to get vaccinated in Gibraltar if they are to keep their jobs at the Rock.

Here, a car leaves British territory for Spain on March 17, 2020. (illustration) REUTERS - Jon Nazca

Text by: RFI Follow

4 min

The 35,000 inhabitants of Gibraltar will receive the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine by the end of the week.

And this also directly concerns the 10,000 cross-border Andalusians who cross the border with this British territory every day to work.

Gibraltar put in place very strict measures from the start of the pandemic and was able to resist Covid-19 by increasing the number of tests: to date, five people have died from the coronavirus.

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With our correspondent in Madrid,

Diane Cambon

These are the first Spaniards who will be

vaccinated against the coronavirus

.

About 300 people,

cross-border workers

who are employed in hospitals, health centers or retirement homes.

They are part of the vaccination program set up by the Government of Gibraltar, British territory, which includes the vaccine for people over 80 years old and all workers in contact with people at risk.

For Juan, a health worker in a clinic, it is a simple formality: “ 

I will be one of the first to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

Me, I hope to receive the injection as soon as possible, especially to set an example and tell the rest of the population that we should not be afraid. 

"

In the coming weeks, the 35,000 inhabitants of the rock will have access to the vaccine, as will the 10,000 or so Spanish workers who cross the border every day.

Some, like Maria, a home help in Gibraltar, reluctantly accept the vaccine: " 

If it's compulsory, well I will have no choice but to do it, but if not, I don't get vaccinated, because I admit that it scares me. 

"

The government has hinted that if

Spanish workers are

to keep their jobs on the rock, they may have to go through the vaccine.

►

To read also: Gibraltar: the rock of discord between Spain and the United Kingdom

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