Spain holidaymakers fly back to fortnight stuck in quarantine

BRITISH holidaymakers returning from Spain have expressed their shock and frustration at the sudden change in travel quarantine rules.

Passengers arriving at Gatwick Airport on a flight from Barcelona yesterday morning were among the first travellers now required to self-isolate again for two weeks.

Philip Bradby, 55, and Marina Wilson, 40, from Bournemouth, cut short their trip to the Catalonian city because of the imposition of the new quarantine requirement.

Speaking at Gatwick’s North Terminal, Mr Bradby criticised the Government’s announcement of the rule change, saying: “I think it’s quite poor that they did it so instantaneously.”

He said he works in the aerospace industry so the coronavirus pandemic has already had “a major impact on my working life”.

Ms Wilson, who has a nineyear-old daughter, said: “They basically changed the rules halfway through, which puts us in a very awkward position and lots of things to arrange. I was very upset because I’m having to sort out childcare now.”

Another passenger arriving from a two-day trip to Barcelona, who wanted to be named as only Sharon, said quarantine would be “inconvenient” but have little impact as she remains on holiday from work.

But the 50-year-old from London added: “It was just a bit of a shock. It would have been nice if there was a little bit more warning.”

Another 24-year-old traveller from Surrey, who gave her name only as Hannah, said the rule change would affect family plans and her work.

“We were supposed to return to work at the beginning of August, so I’m now going to have to stay away again for another week,” she said.