Coronavirus: Travellers from Spain told to quarantine

Travellers arriving within the UK from Spain should now quarantine for 14 days, beneath new coronavirus journey guidelines.

They have been introduced on Saturday following a spike in coronavirus instances in Spain, with greater than 900 new instances of the virus reported on Friday.

Spanish officers have additionally warned a second wave may very well be imminent as main cities have seen instances surge.

Airways together with British Airways have criticised the brand new measures as “one more blow” to British holidaymakers.

And Rory Boland, editor of shopper rights journal Which?, stated many travellers can be “deeply indignant” that the federal government didn’t make the choice 48 hours earlier “earlier than tens of hundreds of them flew off for his or her summer season holidays in Spain”.

“Many wouldn’t have travelled if they’d identified they’d face 14 days of quarantine on their return,” he stated.

Individuals at the moment on vacation in Spain have been suggested by the Division of Transport to comply with the native guidelines, return dwelling as regular, and examine the Foreign Office’s travel advice website for additional data.

The Overseas Workplace is advising in opposition to all however important journey to mainland Spain, nonetheless the quarantine measures apply to these returning from mainland Spain, the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands, reminiscent of Majorca and Ibiza. Overseas Workplace recommendation has ramifications for journey insurance coverage.

Amongst these affected by the brand new guidelines is Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, who started his vacation in Spain on Saturday. He’s anticipated to proceed his journey as deliberate and isolate consistent with steering on his return.

Quarantine measures for UK travellers have been first launched in early June. However after stress from the aviation and journey industries, the federal government and devolved administrations revealed lists of countries exempt from the rules.

British Airways stated it was “upset” concerning the newest modifications to the federal government’s journey recommendation and guidelines, though the airline stated its flights have been persevering with to function.

It stated the transfer was “throwing hundreds of Britons’ journey plans into chaos”.

The Airport Operators Affiliation stated the brand new measures would “additional injury what’s already a fragile restart of the aviation sector which continues to face the largest problem in its historical past”.

The UK’s largest tour operator, Tui, cancelled its flights due to depart to mainland Spain and the Canary Islands on Sunday. Clients at the moment on vacation will likely be ready to return on their supposed flight dwelling.

Nonetheless, price range airline EasyJet stated it was “upset” and would function a full schedule within the coming days.

“Clients who not want to journey can switch their flights and not using a change payment or obtain a voucher for the worth of the reserving,” the corporate stated in an announcement.

A spokesman for the Affiliation of British Journey Brokers (Abta) stated the federal government’s quarantine rule change was “disappointing”.

“We propose the federal government considers lifting the quarantine guidelines for flights to and from sure areas with decrease an infection charges, or to locations such because the Balearic Islands or the Canaries – that are geographically distinct from mainland Spain – to keep away from additional injury to the UK inbound and outbound tourism industries,” he stated.

What’s taking place in Spain?

Spain has thus far seen greater than 28,000 coronavirus deaths. On Thursday, it noticed the largest each day improve in infections since its lockdown ended.

Catalonia has turn out to be the most recent area to crack down on nightlife. The rich north-east area, which is dwelling to Barcelona, ordered all nightclubs to shut for 2 weeks and put a midnight curfew on bars within the higher Barcelona space.

The BBC’s Man Hedgecoe in Madrid says contagion amongst younger individuals is a specific fear, as they’ve been gathering in massive numbers in cities at evening.

France has warned its residents not to journey to Catalonia whereas Norway has stated it would begin quarantining individuals arriving from Spain.

The federal government is urging employers to be “understanding of these returning from Spain who now will want to self-isolate”.

However Labour’s shadow dwelling secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds referred to as for the federal government to clarify intimately how it will assist these affected, including that the information can be “deeply regarding for households who’re in caught in Spain or are planning journey”.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted that the choice was made after reviewing the most recent information earlier on Saturday.

“This reinforces the purpose that these issues are topic to change at quick discover and so my recommendation is to be cautious about non-essential international journey,” she stated.

John Blackmore, from Hampshire, was due to fly out to his household in Spain along with his spouse and two younger kids. However the brand new guidelines imply he has had to cancel, for fears his spouse’s employer wouldn’t give you the chance to accommodate her taking an additional two weeks off to quarantine on their return.

He stated he thought it was unlikely they might get a refund for the flight, because it has not been cancelled.

“I am devastated,” he told the BBC. “I’ve household in Spain who have not seen their solely grandkids since Christmas.”

Lois Stothard, from South Yorkshire, told the BBC she had booked a vacation to Seville as a shock for her boyfriend’s 30th birthday – due to fly out on Sunday morning – however now feels that she can’t journey.

“I am a keyworker – I am a trainer – and my boyfriend has work commitments so we can’t quarantine for 14 days after we return,” she stated.

“We won’t get any a reimbursement and to change the corporate need double what I’ve already paid in charges. I am very upset and upset as we’re packed and prepared to go.”

Are you in Spain? Are you planning to journey to Spain? What do you concentrate on the quarantine? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

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