Spain to lift coronavirus quarantine from July 1

26 May 2020, 08:54

Spanish authorities are going to remove the requirement for travellers to go into quarantine for two weeks from July 1.

Cabinet ministers made the decision to lift the quarantine during a meeting yesterday.

However the Home Office is planning to bring in a 14-day quarantine for all travellers arriving to the UK from June 8.

This means anyone trying to travel to Spain would have to stay in quarantine for two weeks on their return.

Spain's government said in a brief statement that cabinet ministers made the decision to lift the mandatory quarantine during a meeting on Monday.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez had already announced over the weekend that his nation was ready to welcome some foreign visitors in July.

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The government is looking to establish safe corridors between parts of Spain that have the outbreak under control and similar areas in Europe that are an important source of tourists. There has been no talk so far of reopening to travellers from outside the European Union.

Spain is one of the world's most visited countries, attracting more than 80 million international tourists each year. The industry represents 12% of Spain's GDP and employs 2.6 million people. Its economic importance is even greater on Spain's Canary and Balearic archipelagos.