People returning to Scotland from Spain will have to quarantine as a significant increase in Covid-19 cases caused a decision to be overturned.
Spain will be removed from the list of countries exempt from quarantine requirements due to an increased number of positive coronavirus cases.
The decision, also made by the devolved administrations in Northern Ireland and Wales – as well as the UK Government, has been made to reduce the risk of the transmission of the virus by those travelling from Spain and arriving in Scotland.
Travellers returning to any of the UK nations from Spain after midnight tonight will have to self-isolate for two weeks as the country has been removed from the travel corridors exemption list, the Department for Transport has confirmed
Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “The decision to exempt Spain earlier this week, was taken when the data showed there was an improvement in the spread of the virus. But clearly the latest data has given us cause for concern to overturn that decision.
“We appreciate that this will be disappointing. However, we have always been clear we are closely monitoring the pandemic situation in all countries and that we may require to remove a country from the list of places exempt from quarantine requirements should the virus show a resurgence.
Having reviewed the latest data earlier today, @scotgov is also reimposing 14 day quarantine for travellers returning from Spain. This reinforces the point that these matters are subject to change at short notice & so my advice is to be cautious about non essential foreign travel https://t.co/9xSnyFCv77
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) July 25, 2020
“It is still active and it is still deadly. Suppressing the virus, preventing it from being transmitted and protecting public health is our priority.”
In Spain, Catalonia became the latest region to crack down on nightlife, trying to halt new infection clusters.
The wealthy north-east region – home to Barcelona – ordered all nightclubs to close for 15 days and put a midnight curfew on bars in the greater Barcelona area and other towns around Lleida that have become contagion hot zones.
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