Vaccinated and allowed to have fun, nursing home residents go to the theater in Spain on their first outing in a year

It’s his first outing in a year. A hundred elderly from various residences in Madrid, Spain, newly vaccinated, attended the theater this Wednesday, an exciting experience for these pioneers of immunization.

With painted nails, carefully combed hair, and her fur coat, Milagro Fernández, 98, joins the excursion.

He arrives at his residence hall to applause: The staff would not have missed this moment for the world. Milagro overcame covid-19 last spring.

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The small woman goes out and gets on a minibus with three other colleagues, Antonio Alonso, 87 years old, Concha Martínez, 90, and José Tellez, 92 years old and who says to the director of the residence: “Thank you for the ‘tournée’! ”

Milagro Fernández, 98, leaves after attending a special performance for those who live in homes for the elderly who have already received the vaccine against Covid-19.

They head towards Gran Vía, Madrid’s “Broadway”.

“Then are we going to eat somewhere?”asks José, very excited about this first outing in so long.

One year without being able to leave the residence. A year without seeing Madrid and its busy streets.

Laura Egea, the director, says she would have loved to accompany them. The first wave took over the establishment.

She wipes a few tears when she remembers the “dozens” of residents, out of a population of 180, who did not survive. “A duel” that is not over yet.

In early December, the Spanish government estimated that between 47% and 50% of deaths in the first wave of the pandemic were registered in nursing homes. The country has so far recorded more than 68,000 deaths in total.

People who live in nursing homes attend a performance at the EDP Gran Vía Theater in Madrid.

Image of hope

In the minibus, they don’t stop talking. One points to the hairdresser he used to go to, another recommends restaurants, a third gives directions to the driver.

In front of the theater EDP ​​Gran Vía, dozens of other minibuses are already parked. Cautiously, the white-haired heads descend.

In the lobby, dozens of walkers. The poles are stored under the seats.

The theater invited 150 vaccinated retirees from seven Madrid residences and 50 nurses, also immunized, to the humorous show by actor Santi Rodríguez.

But the real show is not on the stage. The press, coming en masse, gathers together to immortalize the moment.

These older people embody the hope of a return to normal life, although they observe the safe distance and wear masks.

Conchita looks around her: “I miss seeing so many people. And that there is union, we are many ”. All smiles, Milagro sits in the red velvet chair.

The show is about to begin.

The theater invited 150 vaccinated retirees from seven Madrid residences and 50 nurses, also immunized, to the humorous show by actor Santi Rodríguez.

“It was time”

Half an hour of jokes and laughter illuminate this February morning, more than a year after the start of the pandemic.

At the exit, Antonio grumbles about the queue to go to the bathroom. Milagro’s eyes shine: “Little by little, we are enjoying everything again,” she says. And then she is silent, overwhelmed with emotion.

Clotilde Frías, the representative of the residence authorized to accompany them, says she is “the most excited of the five.”

“We are very happy to have come out. After a year and 10 days, it was about time, right? “, expresses.

For the elderly, “it is an injection of vitality, hope, tremendous optimism,” he estimates, and says he hopes that this is no longer the beginning of doing what they love so much: “Go out, eat and have fun.”

So far, Spain has vaccinated 1.2 million people, in a campaign that began in December for nursing homes.