Spain may quarantine UK visitors, minister tells BBC

By Inti Landauro and Ingrid Melander

 

FILE PHOTO: Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya reacts during an interview with Reuters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Madrid, Spain May 28, 2020. REUTERS/Susana Vera/

 

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain is considering imposing a quarantine on British travellers when it reopens its borders next week, the foreign minister said, in response to a similar policy at London's end.

 

Arancha Gonzalez Laya told the BBC she hoped Britain would lift its restriction, making a reciprocal Spanish one unnecessary.

 

"We will be in a dialogue with the UK to see whether or not we should be introducing reciprocity as they have different measures than the rest of the European Union," she said in an advance excerpt from current affairs programme HARDtalk.

 

Britain, with more than 41,000 documented coronavirus-linked deaths, and Spain, with more than 27,000, have been two of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic.

 

Both, along with other European countries, are now easing lockdown restrictions, including border closures.

 

Spanish officials gave no mention of any quarantine curbs on Sunday, when the government moved forward the date for allowing European visitors back into the country to June 21 from July 1.

 

In recent weeks, Spain has caused confusion in neighbouring countries and exasperation in the travel industry by repeatedly changing the date and conditions for lifting the ban on foreign visitors it imposed in mid-March.

 

"I still don't know what I will do with my staff and it's June 16," Jorge Marichal, CEO of Canary Islands hotel group Inversiones Marylanza, said at a business event.

 

"We cannot work this way."

 

Spain counts on tourism for about 12 percent of its economy and more than one in eight jobs, making it essential to try and salvage some of the summer holiday season.

 

Britain's Finance Minister Rishi Sunak said on Sunday the quarantine was among measures it would review, saying the government could make changes such as introducing travel corridors with specific countries.

 

Spain's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-06-16

 

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3 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Spain is considering imposing a quarantine on British travellers when it reopens its borders next week, the foreign minister said, in response to a similar policy at London's end.

 

Arancha Gonzalez Laya told the BBC she hoped Britain would lift its restriction, making a reciprocal Spanish one unnecessary.

 

So quarantine has nothing to do with disease control, but is just a tit-for-tat.

 

Government start now showing their real colours what covid and the lock downs were about

 

 

 

 

wouldn't bother letting them in till a vaccine is in play.. 

27 minutes ago, Susco said:

 

So quarantine has nothing to do with disease control, but is just a tit-for-tat.

 

Government start now showing their real colours what covid and the lock downs were about

 

 

 

 

what's good for one to impose is also good for the other to impose …..

NZ just got her first blowback from two people who travelled from UK to NZ and attended funerals. Two new covid cases after a long period of no cases at all.

 

It's best to keep the UK citizens separated from the rest of the population for now on. 

 

 

15 hours ago, Susco said:

 

So quarantine has nothing to do with disease control, but is just a tit-for-tat.

 

Government start now showing their real colours what covid and the lock downs were about

 

 

 

 

 

Yep. The French imposed a tit-for-tat quarantine on British citizens. So Spain thinks it's a good idea too.

 

Really gonna go down well with their tourism people who are desperate for the British tourists.

 

Nothing to do with Covid, public health safety.

14 hours ago, david555 said:

what's good for one to impose is also good for the other to impose …..

 

And the dumbest post of the year award goes to.................................................. well done!

14 hours ago, TheDark said:

NZ just got her first blowback from two people who travelled from UK to NZ and attended funerals. Two new covid cases after a long period of no cases at all.

 

It's best to keep the UK citizens separated from the rest of the population for now on. 

 

 

 

Yeah right, because all other countries' citizens have been magically cured overnight!

 

Don't worry, this isn't quiet the dumbest post of the year. Someone else on this thread beat you. But it was close!

6 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

And the dumbest post of the year award goes to.................................................. well done!

i am not surprised you do not like it .....as thinking only your side can impose on other ones ....well get used to it , it only shall become more  of  that ????

Edited June 17, 20206 yr by david555

12 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Yep. The French imposed a tit-for-tat quarantine on British citizens. So Spain thinks it's a good idea too.

 

Really gonna go down well with their tourism people who are desperate for the British tourists.

 

Nothing to do with Covid, public health safety.

Yes the tourists of death, guess they can't wait to have a Covid 2nd wave.

10 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Yeah right, because all other countries' citizens have been magically cured overnight!

 

Don't worry, this isn't quiet the dumbest post of the year. Someone else on this thread beat you. But it was close!

Don't worry, I think you beat everyone else hands down on that front.

This is called Reciprocity laws and... It’s works.

41 minutes ago, Nigel Garvie said:

Yes the tourists of death, guess they can't wait to have a Covid 2nd wave.

Don't worry, I think you beat everyone else hands down on that front.

It seems hard for some people to gasp the idea that they are no longer powerful enough for making rules for others. 

 

UK handled the covid situation poorly and EU countries do their duty and protect their people from the unclean ones. I'm sure UK would do the same, if the table was turned. 

 

3 minutes ago, TheDark said:

It seems hard for some people to gasp the idea that they are no longer powerful enough for making rules for others. 

 

UK handled the covid situation poorly and EU countries do their duty and protect their people from the unclean ones. I'm sure UK would do the same, if the table was turned. 

 

Looking at the way the UK handled the pandemic, no, they would not do the same. They would simply put their heads in the sand and hope it would blow over.

11 minutes ago, TheDark said:

It seems hard for some people to gasp the idea that they are no longer powerful enough for making rules for others. 

 

UK handled the covid situation poorly and EU countries do their duty and protect their people from the unclean ones. I'm sure UK would do the same, if the table was turned. 

 

The first part of your reply is the hardest to live with for the 52% hardliners , lucky there are still the 48%  ones ….even pity they are suppressed  , next time better ALL people  go vote so such "accidents" can not happen anymore.... 

Edited June 17, 20206 yr by david555

Good old UK exceptionalism.

We can do what we want and you have to do what we want.

 

30 minutes ago, Rookiescot said:

Good old UK exceptionalism.

We can do what we want and you have to do what we want.

 

Laughable … but typical  ????

https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/brexit?CMP=ILC-refresh

 

Edited June 17, 20206 yr by david555

The English getting their hard brexit early and still managing to find a way to whinge about it...

1 hour ago, david555 said:

Laughable … but typical  ????

https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/brexit?CMP=ILC-refresh

 

You forgot they're French speaking dogs.

25 minutes ago, stevenl said:

You forgot they're French speaking dogs.

French barking dogs you mean I think 55555   , best he  take their documents with 

4 hours ago, stevenl said:

Looking at the way the UK handled the pandemic, no, they would not do the same. They would simply put their heads in the sand and hope it would blow over.

This is pretty much the problem with the current UK government. They are populists and all they do is to talk sweet to their core supporters. Get Brexit done. Get No-deal done.

 

There never was any other agenda for this group of people. They never were ready to take responsibility of almost 70-million people they now lead. 

 

This and samples from other parts of the world show how inept these populists are, when they are put to a real test, real crisis. All they do is talk their own agenda.

 

They are slow to react to the changes in the word. They are unable to create feasible action plans, how to cope with the new challenges. They are simply inept. They are inept, which have now been shown to the whole world. 

 

Let's not allow these populist type of people, ever to gain positions of trust for the common people again.

 

At least, let's keep them in their bunkers for the next 20-30 years or more. 

I don't get it, the UK has being trying to leave the EU for 4 years, why would they want to go on holiday

there for?!! They should stay home and fix their Covid-19 first.

 

"I drink to make other people more interesting".  Ernest Hemingway 

10 minutes ago, Moo 2 said:

I don't get it, the UK has being trying to leave the EU for 4 years, why would they want to go on holiday

there for?!! They should stay home and fix their Covid-19 first.

 

"I drink to make other people more interesting".  Ernest Hemingway 

Many people have second homes there.My family included.

1 hour ago, KC 71 said:

Many people have second homes there.My family included.

So when returning to U.K. you must count in 14 days quarantaine..?

 

And possible when going to E.U. example also 14 days quarantaine for Spain and / or France if they follow the U.K. quarantaine movement as U.K. instated now....

 

Now...holliday fun reached another  dimension ????

22 hours ago, TheDark said:

NZ just got her first blowback from two people who travelled from UK to NZ and attended funerals. Two new covid cases after a long period of no cases at all.

 

It's best to keep the UK citizens separated from the rest of the population for now on. 

 

 

Don't know why the UK would complain about Spain's response.  Britain's tardiness and failure to control it's borders over the virus probably caused far more deaths than otherwise would have occurred.  It isn't tit for tat, just sensible given the current situation. 

If they let them have the run of Magaluf that would suit everyone and solve the problem.

I would not go to any of these high number Covid countries for free why would someone want to pay and travel there?

23 hours ago, Rookiescot said:

Good old UK exceptionalism.

We can do what we want and you have to do what we want.

 

Yea the UK is one of the hardest hit countries who did poorly and is surprised that when they block others from entering their virus hit country other countries might do the same. Then member on this forum act like the UK is in the right. Nationalism at its best.  ????

16 hours ago, david555 said:

So when returning to U.K. you must count in 14 days quarantaine..?

 

And possible when going to E.U. example also 14 days quarantaine for Spain and / or France if they follow the U.K. quarantaine movement as U.K. instated now....

 

Now...holliday fun reached another  dimension ????

I know, ..the whole Sh#t show is starting to wind me up now.