Alicante awards its citizens the City Medal for their “exemplary behaviour” during COVID

The Council also offered awards to the Local Police on its 175th anniversary, to Doctor Francisco Javier Balmis for his work to combat smallpox and to the Jorge Juan Secondary School (IES) for being one of the oldest centres in Spain which has been providing public education for 177 years.

The mayor of Alicante, Luis Barcala, stressed that “there are many vicissitudes that this corporation has had to face, such as the pandemic. But we have the unique honour and privilege of being the one that has paid the most honours. In this extraordinary and historic session, we recognise the work of the illustrious Alicante citizen, Doctor Balmis, the outstanding institution of the IES Jorge Juan, and the Local Police.”

“For what we have all had to suffer and what the city of Alicante has suffered, we give the Medal of the City to the people of Alicante which is a historic milestone.

The mayor added: “Just for this immense privilege and honour, it has been worth being here during this term of office, throughout the pandemic, and belonging to this corporation in the representation of the whole city and the people of Alicante. This is a historic day in our lives.”