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The UK has updated its advice against all non-essential travel to Spain to include the Balearic and Canary Islands following an increase in coronavirus cases.
The orientation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was modified on Monday to include both mainland Spain and islands such as Ibiza and Tenerife.
The amended notice came after travel companies’ requests for clarity and when airlines announced flight cancellations.
The change is in addition to the self-isolation policy that began on Sunday.
Travelers returning to the UK from anywhere in Spain must now insulate themselves for 14 days at a registered address.
A Foreign Ministry spokesperson said: “We have considered the general situation of British citizens traveling to and from the Balearic and Canary Islands, including the impact of the self-isolation requirement upon returning to the UK, and concluded that we should advise the British citizens against all non-essential travel to all of Spain. “
In previous statements, Boris Johnson’s official spokesman warned that “no trip is without risk during this pandemic.”
The infection rate in Spain is 35.1 cases per 100,000 people, while the United Kingdom is at 14.7, according to the latest figures from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.
Data up to July 19 suggested that there were lower infection rates in the Balearic and Canary Islands than in mainland Spain.
Meanwhile, a government source told the BBC that the Spanish government was pressing for the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands to be exempt from the quarantine policy, and that discussions on the matter had taken place.
Among the thousands of British tourists affected by the change to the quarantine rules was Transportation Secretary Grant Shapps, who flew to Spain on Saturday despite knowing that a policy decision had to be made.
Shapps said in a statement that he would return to the UK this week to complete his quarantine and return to work as soon as possible.
And Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said he canceled a holiday to the Balearic Islands after the change to quarantine rules was announced on Saturday.
Vacation companies Jet2 and Tui previously announced cancellations in August following the new quarantine rule for return arrivals to the UK from Spain.
But airlines EasyJet and Ryanair said they would continue to operate full flight schedules to Spain, although EasyJet said their vacation would be canceled for the next few weeks.
The UK imposed the restriction over the weekend after an increase in infections in some Spanish regions, including Catalonia, where Barcelona is located, and Aragon.
The French government has told its citizens to stay away from Catalonia, while Norway has imposed a new 10-day quarantine on all travelers arriving from Spain.
It occurs when seven other people with coronavirus were reported to have died in all settings in the UK, according to the latest government figures, bringing the death toll in the UK to 45,759.
The government also said that in the 24-hour period until 09:00 BST on Monday, there were an additional 685 laboratory-confirmed cases. The UK total is 300,111.
