Britons arriving back from Spain will have to quarantine for 14 days – after the government added it to the list of at-risk countries with just a few hours’ notice.
It means people arriving back from Spain, the Canary Islands and Balearic Islands from midnight – and those who have booked a summer holiday there – face the prospect of two weeks in isolation upon returning.
An announcement was made by the Department for Transport on Saturday evening, with the government asking employers across all four nations to be “understanding” of workers who need to self-isolate.
The Scottish government lifted its quarantine rules on Spain this week – but says it will now reimpose them.
A UK government spokesperson said: “Following a significant change over the last week in both the level and pace of change in confirmed cases, Spain has been removed from the list of countries where people do not have to self-isolate when arriving into to the UK.
“People currently on holiday in Spain are encouraged to follow the local rules, return home as normal and check the FCO’s travel advice pages on gov.uk for further information.”
Spain joins countries such as the US, Portugal, Sweden, Mexico, Brazil, Russia, Iran, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and China on England’s at-risk list, meaning people returning have to quarantine.