Warning of holiday ‘uncertainty’ as fears grow of second Covid wave

There are fears more European holidays could be thrown into disarray during “uncertainty” this summer after holidaymakers in Spain were left fuming at being told they must quarantine when they return home.

The Government has stood by its decision to strike Spain off the UK’s list of safe destinations after it saw a spike in the number of coronavirus cases.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the Government “can’t make apologies” for the decision made on Saturday – announced less than five hours before coming into force – that arrivals from Spain and its islands would have to self-isolate for 14 days.

Mr Raab, speaking to Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme, also refused to rule out rescinding further so-called travel corridors.

“As we’ve found with Spain, we can’t give a guarantee,” he said, before adding that there was “an element of uncertainty this summer if people go abroad”.

The Telegraph reported that officials in both France and Germany have warned of possible new lockdowns as parts of Europe braced for a second wave of Covid-19 infections.

French health authorities said at the weekend that the country’s R-rate was up to 1.3 and that daily new infections on Friday had risen to 1,130 – indicators resembling those seen in May, when France was coming out of its strict two-month lockdown.

The decision to reimpose restrictions on Spain left holidaymakers frustrated, with some saying they would not have travelled if they knew they would have to spend a fortnight self-isolating afterwards.

Close to 1.8 million holidays were likely to have been thrown into chaos by the move, according to travel company The PC Agency, which analysed the number of seats booked on flights leaving the UK for Spain between July 26 and August 31.

According to The Times, trips to France, Italy and Greece were being cancelled in “large numbers” following the ruling by ministers on Spain, a development likely to heap further pressure on an already under-strain travel sector.

Tour operator Tui said that, due to the change in the Government’s travel advice, it was cancelling all holidays to mainland Spain up to and including August 9.

Labour shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth criticised the Government’s handling of the affair, labelling it “frankly shambolic”, and called for financial support for those now forced to shut themselves away after their arrival home.

Liz Samandi, 52, a business owner from Market Harborough, Leicestershire, is one of thousands of Brits currently on a family break in Spain and is due to return from Majorca on Thursday.

She told PA news agency: “I just feel a bit angry actually that they’ve done this and not considered the people that are already here.

“It’s the blanket approach which I think is wrong, it should have been a more targeted area I think.”

Jill Witte, 53, arriving at Gatwick Airport on Sunday with her two daughters and husband, said: “We were shocked, it didn’t look like that was coming, otherwise we wouldn’t have gone.”

It was not just the public who were caught out by the sudden announcement.

The quick turnaround on the decision meant Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, who is currently in Spain for his summer break, will join thousands of others in being forced to isolate for two weeks on his return to Britain.

Paul Scully, minister for London, will also have to quarantine after declaring on social media that he was on holiday in Playa Dorada, Lanzarote.

Spanish ministers revealed they were in talks with the UK about exempting the Canary and Balearic islands, which include Ibiza and Majorca, from the requirement to self-isolate for two weeks due to lower infection rates in those regions.

The Foreign Office guidance advising against all but essential travel to mainland Spain does not include the islands but ministers opted to apply blanket quarantine arrangements across the Spanish territories.

Foreign minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya argued Spain had coronavirus outbreaks “perfectly controlled” after the European country recorded more than 900 fresh daily Covid-19 cases for two days running before Saturday’s travel corridor suspension.

Ms Gonzalez Laya told reporters: “Spain is a safe country for tourists and Spaniards.

“Like in any other European country we are seeing outbreaks – the outbreaks in Spain are perfectly controlled.”

Meanwhile, beauty salons and tattoo parlours are among the businesses which can reopen in Wales from Monday, but people are warned about the risks of offering eyebrow treatments and facials due to prolonged face-to-face contact.