Tourists must quarantine on return home from Spain
Tens of thousands have holidays thrown into chaos as rules on coronavirus travel are changed overnight
TENS of thousands of British tourists in Spain have had their holidays thrown into disarray after the Government imposed an immediate two-week quarantine for anyone returning home from the country.
Ministers reimposed restrictions on travel from Spain, including its islands, last night following new outbreaks of coronavirus that prompted Spanish health officials to warn of a potential second wave of infections.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office changed its advice to warn against all but essential travel to mainland Spain. Holiday firms have begun urgently cancelling trips to the country, with TUI stating that it “won’t take customers on holiday” if they were required to quarantine on their return.
The Sunday Telegraph identified 17 flights which took off from Spain last night and were due to land in the UK after midnight, meaning the passengers will have to quarantine.
Meanwhile, ministers were drawing up plans to offer Covid-19 tests to those who have returned from Spain in recent days. The overnight removal of Spain from the list of countries exempt from the Government’s quarantine rules is expected to have a chilling effect on the travel industry. It is likely to prompt fears that other countries could also be removed without notice if infections spike elsewhere.
The decision was taken yesterday afternoon after ministers including Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister; Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary; and Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, met to discuss rising concerns about rates of infections in Spain. The restriction was imposed on travellers returning to England from midnight last night, with similar action taken by the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Among those who will be affected by the new restrictions is Mr Shapps himself, who dialled into the ministerial meeting while on holiday in Spain.
Last night tourists with trips booked to Spain this week said the sudden decision meant they were having to choose between work and a holiday.
Kieran Freeman, 24, an insurance worker who was due to travel to Bilbao with friends on Wednesday, said: “Will they start cancelling flights? Will they offer refunds? There are a lot of unanswered questions. I still plan to go, but I’ll have to see if my work will allow me to quarantine when I get back.”
Alasdair Murray, a copywriter from Sussex, booked 10 days in a Malaga apartment in January and was due to fly with his family of four on Tuesday.
“It’s not clear whether the Government is saying don’t fly there, or by all means fly but lock yourself away for 14 days upon your return,” he said.
Owen Dallison, Barcelona-based operations manager of Devour, a company that conducts food tours across Spain, told The Sunday Telegraph: “People are scared to book holidays now. As soon as quarantine is lifted people have to book in the moment and travel. A month ahead who knows if you will be able to take that flight. This sort of decision, taken with such speed and no warning, makes tourists and travellers even more wary of booking.”
Rory Boland, travel editor of the consumer group Which?, asked: “Why on earth was this decision not taken 48 hours ago, when it was clear there was a problem with Spain, and before tens of thousands of UK holidaymakers flew out on Friday as the summer holidays started?”
Spain has seen a surge in new cases of coronavirus in recent days, with one of its senior health officials warning that the country could be suffering a second wave of infection.
Local lockdowns have been put in place, with several in areas popular with British tourists, as the country recorded an additional 2,255 new cases on Friday, following 2,615 on Thursday.
Authorities have identified 281 active
‘Why on earth was this decision not taken 48 hours ago before thousands flew out on Friday as the summer holidays started?’
outbreaks, mostly of fewer than 10 people, over the past two weeks. According to the Spanish ministry of health, around one third of the outbreaks come from social or family gatherings, with nightclubs identified as a new hot spot.
The UK Government’s decision follows France instructing its citizens not to travel to Catalonia and Norway reimposing quarantine rules for people arriving from Spain.
British Airways said in a statement: “This is sadly yet another blow for British holidaymakers and cannot fail to have an impact on an already troubled aviation industry.”
Easyjet said: “We are disappointed that the Government has decided to impose a quarantine requirement for those travelling from the whole of Spain since the increased occurrence of Coronavirus is regional rather than nationwide.”
TUI last night announced it would cancel all planned holidays to Spain in response to the announcement.
Last night the Government urged employers to be “understanding” of workers returning from Spain who will now need to self-isolate. The move could cause particular difficulties for those unable to work from home and planning to return to their workplaces.
Thousands of British tourists are thought to have travelled to Spain since travel restrictions were lifted. Last week, British holidaymakers urged others to come and “enjoy the sun”. The Spanish tourism industry, which accounts for around 12 per cent of the economy, now faces renewed uncertainty. People running along the beach in the Costa del Sol have been ordered to wear face masks.
The Murcia region sealed off 30,000 people in the town of Totana on Thursday, barring anyone from entering or leaving after 55 cases linked to a nightclub. Elsewhere, restrictions have been tightened in Zaragoza and Pamplona while millions have been urged to stay at home in Catalonia.
Maria José Sierra, Spain’s deputy emergency health director, said: “We have important outbreaks. It could be a second wave. We’ll have to see what happens in the next few weeks.”
Spain has been one of the European countries worst hit by coronavirus, with a national death toll of 28,432.
The Spanish government last night insisted it had the situation under control.