UK to remove Spain from list of quarantine-free travel destinations

If you’re planning a trip to Spain in the next few months, you may want to rethink your travel plans in light of this recent announcement.

If you’re planning a trip to Spain in the next few months, you may want to rethink your travel plans in light of this recent announcement.

Due to a rise in Coronavirus cases in clusters around Spain, British tourists will now need to quarantine for two weeks upon arrival back into the UK. Catalonia and Madrid have seen rises in cases, as well as other areas with densely-populated nightlife spots.

Yesterday, Spainreported 922 new cases of Covid-19, leading the county’s deputy chief of health emergencies, María José Sierra, to speculate thatSpain “could already be a second wave".

Spain was previously on the list of countries exempt from quarantine (opens in new tab), after the UK lifted its previous travel restrictions.

MORE:UK lifts travel restrictions: the full list of exempt countries (opens in new tab)

The new rule will come into effect from midnight tonight, meaning it will affect any tourists who are currently holidaying in Spain and the Spanish Islands, unless they are travelling back tonight.

The news has been confirmed by the Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, announcing Scots will have to quarantine for 14 days after arriving back from Spain, and the UK is thought to be in agreement with the new rules. The UK government is expected to make an announcement imminently.

Reactions to the news have been less than positive, with the public taking to twitter to voice their frustration over the issue.

This comes after the news that French officials are concerned that the virus may be taking hold of the country again.

MORE:Emirates is footing the bill for passengers who get Covid-19 on holiday (opens in new tab)

“We have thus erased much of the progress that we’d achieved in the first weeks of lockdown-easing,” French health authorities said.

They appealed to the French public for a return to “collective discipline,” asking them to be vigilant with testing and work from home wherever possible.

“Concerning the situation in Catalonia, which is displaying worsened indicators for infection, we strongly encourage French citizens to avoid going there until the health situation improves,” French Prime Minister Jean Castex told the press, according to reporting from ITV.