‘More quarantine restrictions if virus spikes in other countries’

PRIME MINISTER Boris Johnson has indicated that quarantine restrictions could be imposed on further European countries if a “second wave” of coronavirus hits the continent.

Mr Johnson already faces a diplomatic row with Spain after warning against all but essential travel to the country – which includes resort islands – and insisting that travellers arriving in the UK from there spend a fortnight in quarantine due to an increase in cases.

But he defended the move and insisted the Government would not hesitate to act if flare-ups of coronavirus occurred in other destinations.

“I’m afraid you are starting to see in some places the signs of a second wave of the pandemic,” the Prime Minister warned.

With holidaymakers already facing uncertainty over trips abroad this summer, Mr Johnson indicated further action could be considered by the Government.

“It’s vital that when people are coming back from abroad, if they are coming back from a place where I’m afraid there is another outbreak, they must go into quarantine,” he said.

“That’s why we have taken the action that we have and we will continue, throughout the summer, to take such action where it is necessary.”

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez described the restrictions on travel to the country as an “error”.

He pointed out that the upsurge in coronavirus cases is focused in two regions, Catalonia and Aragon, adding: “In most of Spain, the incidence is very much inferior to even the numbers registered in the United Kingdom.”

Madrid had been urging the UK to exclude the Canaries and Balearics – which include popular tourist resorts on Ibiza, Majorca

and Menorca – from its quarantine requirements.

But instead, official travel advice was tightened to bring the islands in line with the Spanish mainland. The move has dealt a further blow to the travel industry, which was already reeling after the lockdown.

Mr Johnson said it was up to individuals to decide whether they wanted to take the risk of travelling in the present circumstances. “These are decisions for families, for individuals, about where they want to go,” he said.

The decision to impose quarantine restrictions was made after England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty reportedly told Ministers that 10 Britons who tested positive for coronavirus after July 1 had reported visiting Spain in the 14 days before their test.

Labour said the Government must abandon its one-size-fits-all approach and introduce sectoral support for struggling businesses to ensure that public health measures such as the change in quarantine rules for people returning from Spain do not lead to mass job losses.

Shadow Transport Secretary Jim McMahon said: “The Government’s handling of this issue has been nothing short of chaotic.”

In most of Spain, the incidence is very much lower than the UK.

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.