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Quarantine could be reduced to 10 days for UK holidaymakers arriving back from Spain

28 July 2020, 10:21 | Updated: 28 July 2020, 10:25

Holidaymakers could only have to quarantine for 10 days. Picture: PA Images

By Naomi Bartram

Government sources have said quarantine could be cut to 10 days for UK travellers arriving from Spain.

Brits coming home from Spain could only have to quarantine for ten days under new Government plans.

A travel ban was put on Spain over the weekend following a spike in coronavirus cases, meaning holidaymakers who are returning to the UK will have to self isolate for 14 days.

But tourists affected by the new rules have hit back, saying they will be out of pocket because they can't get Statutory Sick Pay when they return from their trip.

In a bid to lessen the blow, people from high-risk countries could be tested for coronavirus eight days after returning.

Those travelling back from Spain may have their quarantine reduced. Picture: PA Images

According to The Telegraph, if the test comes back negative, they will then only need to remain in quarantine for another two days

A Whitehall source also told the Mirror: "Like a lot of these things it’s whether or not it’s actually practical.

"These things sound like good ideas but you need to know if they’ll actually work."

A Government spokesman confirmed to The Sun that the 10-day quarantine plans were being discussed, but no final decision has been made.

It comes after the Balearic and Canary islands were added to the list of places where only ‘essential travel’ should take place following an increase in Covid-19 cases.

Yesterday, Brits were warned against going to the likes of Ibiza, Tenerife, Majorca, Menorca and Lanzarote.

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The new advice now applies to all areas of mainland Spain, as well as the Canary Islands - such as Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera, La Graciosa and El Hierro – and the Balearic Islands – such as Majorca, Ibiza, Menorca, and Formentera.

Anyone returning from any area of Spain will have to quarantine for two weeks on arrival, in line with government guidelines introduced on Sunday (26 July).

A spokesman from The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said: "We have considered the overall situation for British nationals travelling to and from the Balearic and Canary Islands, including the impact of the requirement to self-isolate on return to the UK, and concluded that we should advise British nationals against all non-essential travel to the whole of Spain."

Travel firm TUI UK has also cancelled all holidays to the Balearic Islands and Canary Islands after the FCO's updated travel advice.

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