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Coronavirus: UK brings back 14-day quarantine for Spain - BBC News

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Travellers returning to the UK from Spain after midnight tonight will have to quarantine for 14 days, the government has said.

The decision came following a significant spike in coronavirus cases in Spain, with more than 900 new cases of the virus reported on Friday.

Spanish officials have also warned a second wave could be imminent as major cities have seen cases surge.

The UK government said public health was an "absolute priority".

"We have taken this decision to limit any potential spread to the UK. We've always been clear that we would act immediately to remove a country where necessary," a government spokesperson said.

Earlier, the government of Catalonia said all nightclubs and late-night bars in the region are to close for the next two weeks due to a spike in infections.

Quarantine measures for UK travellers were introduced in early June. But after pressure from the aviation and travel industries, the government and devolved administrations published lists of countries exempt from the rules.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted that the decision was made after reviewing the latest data earlier on Saturday.

"This reinforces the point that these matters are subject to change at short notice and so my advice is to be cautious about non-essential foreign travel," she said.

The Airport Operators Association said the new measures will "further damage what is already a fragile restart of the aviation sector which continues to face the biggest challenge in its history".

The new rules for Spain come a day after five other destinations were added to England's quarantine-free list.

Anyone coming to England from Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia and St Vincent and the Grenadines will not have to isolate for two weeks on arrival, the government confirmed on Friday.

'Devastated'

John Blackmore, from Hampshire, was due to fly out to his family in Spain with his wife and two young children. But the new rules mean he has had to cancel, for fears his wife's employer would not be able to accommodate her taking an extra two weeks off to quarantine on their return.

He said it was unlikely they would get a refund for the flight, as it has not been cancelled.

"I'm devastated," he told the BBC. "I have family in Spain who haven't seen their only grandkids since Christmas."


Are you in Spain? Are you planning to travel to Spain? What do you think about the quarantine? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

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