UK holidaymakers cancel trips to Spain amid quarantine fears

British holidaymakers are cancelling their trips to Spain amid fears they will be forced to go into a 14-day quarantine when they return to the UK.

Sun-seekers fear the UK government may scrap its air bridge agreement with Spain amid growing concerns of a second spike.

Such a move would leave holidaymakers out in Spain facing two-weeks of self-isolation on their return to the UK – even though they wouldn’t have had to at the time of leaving.

It comes as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office today cut its three-weekly review of the 74 air bridges to just a week, while health officials in Spain have raised concerns over a second coronavirus spike.

One holidaymaker, Lynn Carratt, 39, says she has cancelled her trip to Spain fearing the government will take the country off the air bridge list when it reviews the scheme on Monday.

Sun-seekers fear the UK government may scrap its air bridge agreement with Spain amid growing concerns of a second spike. Picture: The beach of Palma de Mallorca

One holidaymaker, Lynn Carratt (pictured), 39, from London, says she has cancelled her trip to Spain fearing the government will take the country off the air bridge list when it reviews the scheme on Monday

One holidaymaker, Lynn Carratt (pictured), 39, from London, says she has cancelled her trip to Spain fearing the government will take the country off the air bridge list when it reviews the scheme on Monday

Mrs Carratt, who is the director of PR firm E20 Communications, was due to fly to Majorca tomorrow for a week-long holiday with her husband, but has now swapped her flights from Spain to the Greek island of Crete (pictured)

Mrs Carratt, who is the director of PR firm E20 Communications, was due to fly to Majorca tomorrow for a week-long holiday with her husband, but has now swapped her flights from Spain to the Greek island of Crete (pictured)

Mrs Carratt, who is from London and is the director of PR firm E20 Communications, was due to fly to Majorca tomorrow for a week-long holiday with her husband, but has now swapped her flights from Spain to Greece.

She told MailOnline: ‘It is a worry. When the air bridges come up for review on Monday it does look like Spain is one of those countries that is a risk.

Spain COULD be suffering a second wave of coronavirus, say health chiefs 

By Raven Saunt and Natalia Penza for MailOnline

One of Spain’s top health officials has warned that the country could be suffering a second wave of coronavirus amid an alarming increase in cases that has sparked numerous local lockdowns.

Deputy emergency health director Maria Jose Sierra has revealed her concerns over the spike in Covid-19 cases after the country recorded an additional 2,615 new infections yesterday – doubling from 1,357 the previous day.

Ms Sierra said: ‘We have important outbreaks. It could be a second wave. We’ll have to see what happens in the next few weeks.’

France has not ruled out closing its borders to Spain and Norway is threatening to add it to its red list of countries that require returning visitors to be quarantined for ten days.

The Spanish tourism industry, which accounts for around 12 per cent of the nation’s economy, now faces uncertainty after the country’s borders were reopened to tourists with great fanfare last month.

It is the first time a senior Spanish health official has used the expression ‘ second wave’ since a spike in the number of Covid-19 cases following the end of the country’s state of emergency on June 21.

Tourism Minister Maria Reyes Maroto tried to put a positive on an increasingly worrying situation by insisting the health situation in Catalonia and Aragon, the country’s two worst affected areas, was ‘getting better’.

‘We didn’t want to be on holiday and on Monday Spain is taken off the list and then we will be forced to quarantine for two weeks.’ 

The couple will instead fly out to Crete tomorrow – just a year after they married in the Greek island of Santorini.

She added: ‘Greece only had something like 27 cases today across the mainland and the islands. Spain had 2,615 yesterday.

‘Anyone can catch coronavirus, it is just about being sensible and the right measures and protection to keep yourself safe.’

Another holidaymaker told MailOnline: ‘We were supposed to be in Spain now.

‘We had a month trip booked to spend with our daughter and son-in-law that lives out there.

‘But we cancelled it and even then when the air bridge was put in we did not re-book as fears because of this and obviously not wanting to risk catching coronavirus.’

It comes as British tourists have been warned that a new travel system means air bridges could collapse at short notice leaving them facing a 14-day quarantine on return to the UK. 

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office earlier this month set out exemptions for a number of countries from its ‘all but essential’ travel guidance.

It means that currently holidaymakers can travel to 74 locations without having to quarantine for 14 days upon their return to the UK.

However Britain currently reviews all the countries on the ‘safe list’ every three weeks. 

But the government today unveiled a new rolling review of just a week – throwing some insecurity to holidaymakers planning to catch a quick bit of summer sun abroad. 

This means you could go abroad to a country on the ‘safe’ list for your holiday, but while away a spike in coronavirus cases could mean the government could place it on the ‘red’ list, meaning you would have to quarantine for 14-days upon your return.

It comes as Spain is set to remain on the safe list, despite a spike in Covid-19 cases that has left many people cancelling holidays.

However concern continues to grow among health officials in Spain, with one of the country’s top health officials warning that the country be suffering a second wave of coronavirus amid an alarming increase in cases that has sparked numerous local lockdowns.

Deputy emergency health director Maria Jose Sierra has revealed her concerns over the spike in Covid-19 cases after the country recorded an additional 2,615 new infections yesterday – doubling from 1,357 the previous day.

This graph shows Spain's new coronavirus cases for the past two weeks. It recorded an additional 2,615 new infections yesterday - up from 1357 the previous day. The large spike of 4,000 cases is a result of the country stopping reporting cases over weekends

This graph shows Spain’s new coronavirus cases for the past two weeks. It recorded an additional 2,615 new infections yesterday – up from 1357 the previous day. The large spike of 4,000 cases is a result of the country stopping reporting cases over weekends

This graph of the entire coronavirus outbreak shows that cases are rising increasingly fast but are still behind the 9,000-a day at the peak of the outbreak

This graph of the entire coronavirus outbreak shows that cases are rising increasingly fast but are still behind the 9,000-a day at the peak of the outbreak 

Women wearing face masks walk along La Misericordia Beach in Malaga on July 22

Women wearing face masks walk along La Misericordia Beach in Malaga on July 22

France has not ruled out closing its borders to Spain and Norway is threatening to add it to its red list of countries that require returning visitors to be quarantined for ten days. 

It comes as the Department for Transport today added Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia and St Vincent and the Grenadines to the list of travel corridors with effect from July 28 in England. 

The long haul winter flight sale is ON for those brave enough: Prices for Barbados, Maldives and Thailand have plummeted… is it safe to book? 

Holidaymakers can save as much as 55 per cent on winter trips to long haul destinations, new data shows.

With many Britons dreaming of exotic, sunnier climes, return flights to locations such as Barbados, the Maldives and Thailand have plummeted by hundreds of pounds compared to last year, according to data from Skyscanner.

However, those who are keen to book should be warned that prices are lower due to the continuing uncertainty around travelling due to the coronavirus.

A drop in demand over worries where the pandemic is heading means that airlines are having to slash fares to entice holidaymakers.

Currently, most will find it hard to obtain travel insurance to cover their trip, leaving them unprotected, and flights are still being regularly cancelled as the situation remains unpredictable.

Despite this, bookings for international travel from Britain have increased by 85 per cent over the past month, indicating more people are ready to head abroad as restrictions ease.

Meanwhile a spokesperson for the FCO said: ‘We are monitoring the international situation very closely and keeping our travel advice under constant review so that it reflects our latest assessment of risks to British people.’

The FCO also urged holidaymakers to look at its travel advice web page, which currently includes a line saying that Public Health England is ‘monitoring recent reports of substantial increases in cases of Covid-19 in the regions of Aragon and Catalonia’.

Travel ABTA – The Travel Association, said it refused to comment on speculation on individual countries.

A spokesperson said: ‘The government has also always said it would review exemptions as and when required. We will not comment on speculation about individual countries.’

Today Elizabeth Keegan, director of tourism in popular hot spot Lloret de Mar, in Spain, said: ‘We are getting cancellations from Britain, France and Belgium.

‘The 120 hotels here are about 65 per cent full and they are normally 100 per cent full at this time of year.’

It comes amid discussion that ‘regional’ air bridges could be set up to allow people to travel to specific areas of countries where there are lower rates of coronavirus infections. 

The ‘regional’ air bridges plan could see low risk areas identified in high risk countries which travellers would be able visit without then being subject to 14-day quarantine rules upon their return. 

Such a move would mean the end of outright travel bans on entire countries and represent a further easing of quarantine rules. 

It is thought the air bridge plan is being looked at as part of a review of current travel restrictions, with changes due to be announced by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps on Monday. 

The introduction of ‘regional’ air bridges could open up travel to tourist hotspots like The Algarve and Madeira in Portugal while keeping a ban on going to areas like Lisbon where coronavirus is more prevalent.

It could also allow for the return of some travel to the US amid fears the national scale of its outbreak could result in a long term ban.

People sunbathe at the La Misericordia Beach in Malaga this week as tourists begin to return

People sunbathe at the La Misericordia Beach in Malaga this week as tourists begin to return

A source told The Telegraph: ‘Regional air bridges are an option for countries with localised outbreaks. 

‘The US is a major issue. If you judge it nationally, the absence of travel could go on for months, which is where individual testing of arrivals could work.’

Gloria Guevara, president of the World Travel and Tourism Council, told The Times: ‘The establishment of air corridors between financial centres where infection levels are low, such as between London and New York, would provide a vital boost to business travel and aid the economic recovery.’  

Meanwhile, ministers are also believed to be looking at introducing coronavirus tests before or on arrival at UK airports in a further measure which could reopen travel to the US. 

Mr Shapps will set out on Monday any changes to the current travel rules and announce whether any countries will be added to the 74 which are already exempt from the 14-day quarantine requirement. 

Have you cancelled your Spanish holiday? Email james.robinson@mailonline.co.uk 

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