While much has been reported today about the Balearic and Spanish governments seeking to gain an exemption from the UK government's quarantine requirement for travellers returning from Spain, a further blow has now been dealt by the latest travel advice from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.
In what has been and remains a fast-moving situation, The Sun newspaper earlier today quoted "Whitehall sources" who indicated that the UK government was considering possible exemption for both the Balearics and the Canaries.
The following is what has been posted on the Foreign & Commonwealth Office's travel advice page for Spain:
From 27 July, the FCO advise against all non-essential travel to Spain, including the Balearic and Canary Islands, based on the current assessment of COVID-19 risks in the country.
This advice is based on evidence of increases in cases of COVID-19 in several regions, but particularly in Aragon, Navarra and Catalonia (which include the cities of Zaragoza, Pamplona and Barcelona).
The FCO is not advising those already travelling in Spain to leave at this time. Travellers should follow the advice of the local authorities on how best to protect themselves and others, including any measures that they bring in to control the virus.
If you are returning from Spain you will be required to self-isolate on your return to the UK, but the FCO is not advising you to cut short your visit. You should contact your tour operator or airline if you have any questions about your return journey.
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Are Zaragoza, Pamplona and Barcelona). ON THE Island NO so why ban us from coming to the Islands the infection rate here is low what are you on about Boris
The arrogance and ‘entitled’ attitude of the UK Government is staggering. The science that they ‘claim’ their decisions are based on says the Balearics are safe. Much safer than the UK. In fact, here we should refuse entry from the UK. But we don’t - because Spain has acted faster and more effectively than the UK on all counts. We have face masks in shops and towns. The rules are enforced by shop keepers. In the UK it’s shambolic. The science is clear - it is safer in the Balearics than in the UK. The arrogant British haven’t even bothered to address the reason for their decision to include the islands on their banned list. Why??? Could this be a smoke screen to create mass media coverage to hide the true story? That’s the complete failure of the British Government to tackle the pandemic in the UK?
I'm glad. Mallorca cannot control tge many flights per day from Madrid and Barcelona. Foreign tourists are not the problem. Flights from Barcelona are the issue. In 2 weeks Mallorca will have a 2nd wave unless they restrict flights from the peninsula. At that point Germany will go the same way as the UK and Mallorca will be toast.
Call me cynical but I am beginning to think that all this has more to do with last week’s meeting in Algeciras between Spain’s Foreign Minister and Gibraltar’s Chief Minister, something which will not have gone down at all well in Westminster, than it has to do with Covid.
Just 4 hours ago, the MDB reported that the quarantine requirement was going to be dropped? What do the British Gov't know that the Spanish don't? Hmmm... seems like that's it for this season now then 😫