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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Travel
Kit Heren

Is it safe to travel to Spain? Latest government guidelines following the coronavirus spike

Spain could be about to be taken off the British government's list of countries Brits can travel to "safely" following a recent surge in coronavirus cases, according to reports.

The Government created "air bridges" with 76 countries, including Spain, earlier in July - meaning people living in the UK can travel to those countries without having to quarantine for 14 days on their return.

But Spain has seen a spike in coronavirus infections in recent weeks, with around 200 local outbreaks and nearly 4,600 new cases on Monday.

And the Government is considering pulling up the "air bridge" with Spain, the Sun reported on Wednesday, citing sources in the civil service - in what would be a huge blow to many British holidaymakers.

People enjoy the sunny weather at Barceloneta beach, after Catalonia's regional authorities and the city council announced restrictions to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (REUTERS)

A decision will reportedly be made in the next few days, as well as on all the other countries with "air bridges" to the UK. The Government could also ditch the three-week review period in favour of a continuous checking process.

Several parts of Spain have been forced to reimpose local restrictions, after suffering spikes in coronavirus cases in recent weeks. It comes as tourists from around the world, including from the UK, have started booking summer holidays to the country.

Although there are 76 countries where people don't need to quarantine when they come back to the UK, there are just 25 where Brits don't have to quarantine on arrival.

People dance at Barceloneta beach (REUTERS)

These include tourist hotspots like Spain, France and Germany. Portugal could soon also be added to the list as the country's coronavirus infection rates have slowed.

The Department for Transport has been contacted for comment.

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