Locking down

Spain quarantine is right move

IMPOSING QUARANTINE restrictions on those returning from a holiday in Spain might well ruffle the feathers of many who face 14 days of isolation, but it is nevertheless the right thing to do.

Britain needs to do everything possible to avoid a second spike in Covid-19 during the approaching autumn and winter, and that includes minimising the risk of holidaymakers bringing the virus home with them from tourist hotspots.

The upsurge of infections in Spain is a worrying reminder of how rapidly this illness spreads, and the influx of visitors from across Europe to the country’s beaches and resorts amounts to an ideal breeding ground for coronavirus.

Questions must be asked of the Spanish authorities about progress in bringing the virus under control before reopening the country to tourists. Undoubtedly, the income they bring is vital to the economy, but Spain does neither itself nor its visitors any favours by putting them at risk.

The Government’s swift action in responding to the threat of a new wave of infections is to be commended. Britain’s people are doing their best to get back to work and return to some sort of normality, albeit with restrictions, such as the wearing of face coverings in shops.

For the sake of both Britain’s health and the economy, those efforts cannot be undermined by an influx of infections from abroad. Covid demands constant vigilance if it is to be controlled and beaten, and if that means the Government imposing quarantine on visitors returning from more holiday destinations, so be it.