Summary for Sunday, 26th July
Welcome back. We are resuming our rolling coverage of the coronavirus pandemic but first here is a quick summary of the latest developments to kick us off.
They were announced on Saturday after a rise in infections in Spain, with more than 900 new cases reported on Friday.
Labour’s shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said he understands why the government made the decision, but the handling and communication of it was “frankly shambolic”.
He urged the government to provide clarity for “confused and distressed” holidaymakers, who don't know whether their employers will allow them to quarantine at home for two weeks.
He told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge: "The government is just saying, 'We hope that employers co-operate'. Well, to be frank, I hope I win the lottery on Saturday but that doesn't mean it is going to happen."
He called on the government to provide "clarity" for holidaymakers and said it needed to be backed up by financial support, so that people who need to self-isolate can "do the right thing" to protect themselves and others.
People already in Spain can stay for the rest of their holiday, the government says, but from today they will have to self-isolate for two weeks upon their return.
The rules apply to travellers arriving from anywhere in Spain, including the Canary and Balearic Islands. The UK government is now advising "against all but essential travel to mainland Spain".
All travellers arriving into England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are affected by the new guidelines.
Read more on the new measures here
However, although the country ended its state of emergency barely a month ago, cities including Barcelona, Zaragoza and the capital Madrid have seen a surge in new infections.
Health officials reported more than 900 new cases of the virus on Friday and the government has warned that a second wave of infections could be imminent.
In response, Catalonia is closing all nightclubs and late-night bars in the region for the next two weeks.
The BBC's Guy Hedgecoe in Madrid says contagion among young people is a particular worry, as they have been gathering in large numbers in cities at night.
Norway has also said it will start quarantining people arriving from Spain, and France has warned its citizens not to travel to Catalonia. Belgium has banned travel to Huesca and Lleida, with recommendations against travel to a number of other areas in Spain.
He told Sky News' Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: "The cases in Spain, the data came we got was on the Friday, showed a big jump right across mainland Spain, that was then assessed yesterday afternoon and we took the decision as swiftly as we could.
"And we can't make apologies for doing so."
He said No 10 must be able to take "swift, decisive action", especially in relation to localised outbreaks or those in particular countries, otherwise "we risk re-infection into the UK, potentially a second wave [of the virus] and then another lockdown".
He said he understood it is "disruptive" for holidaymakers in Spain or those who wanted to travel there, but reiterated his stance that the government must be able to take quick decisions.
Asked why No 10 could not have given holidaymakers an earlier warning, he said ministers had to be able to "gauge the data in real time".
He added: "If we suddenly say, 'we're not quite sure' and give vague advice, it would create more uncertainty."
He said it would have been "far worse to either muddy the waters or to hold back and delay from taking the measures when we need to take them".
- Travellers arriving in the UK from Spain must now quarantine for 14 days, under new coronavirus travel rules
- The measures follow a spike in infections in Spain, with more than 900 new cases reported on Friday
- Spain is taking new measures to cut a spike in cases, amid fears of a more widespread "second wave"
- France and Germany have also seen a rise in cases, as nations grapple between staving off fresh outbreaks and reopening economies
- North Korea has reported what it describes as its first suspected case - a defector who returned from South Korea last week
- There have been more than 16 million cases globally and nearly 645,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University
Welcome back. We are resuming our rolling coverage of the coronavirus pandemic but first here is a quick summary of the latest developments to kick us off.
- British holidaymakers have been reacting to new rules requiring travellers from Spain to self-isolate for 14 days. The move is a potential setback for the Spanish tourism industry as UK visitors make up a quarter of all foreign tourists there
- The new measures follow a surge in Covid-19 cases, which have prompted fears of a second wave of infections in Spain. France and Germany have also reported a rise in new infections
- North Korea says a defector who returned from South Korea last week is suspected of bringing the country's first Covid-19 infection. The North has previously said it does not have a single coronavirus case, a claim which experts say is unlikely
- The mayor of Rio de Janeiro has cancelled the city's famous New Year's Eve celebration because of the pandemic. Marcelo Crivella said he was considering alternative ways of welcoming 2021. Brazil is one of the world's worst-affected countries with more than 2.3 million infections and 86,000 deaths
- Globally the number of cases has now passed 16 million and there have been nearly 645,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University
Government handling of Spain quarantine rules 'frankly shambolic' - Labour
Travellers arriving in the UK from Spain must now quarantine for 14 days under new coronavirus travel rules.They were announced on Saturday after a rise in infections in Spain, with more than 900 new cases reported on Friday.
Labour’s shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said he understands why the government made the decision, but the handling and communication of it was “frankly shambolic”.
He urged the government to provide clarity for “confused and distressed” holidaymakers, who don't know whether their employers will allow them to quarantine at home for two weeks.
He told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge: "The government is just saying, 'We hope that employers co-operate'. Well, to be frank, I hope I win the lottery on Saturday but that doesn't mean it is going to happen."
He called on the government to provide "clarity" for holidaymakers and said it needed to be backed up by financial support, so that people who need to self-isolate can "do the right thing" to protect themselves and others.
What are the UK travel quarantine rules for Spain?
People already in Spain can stay for the rest of their holiday, the government says, but from today they will have to self-isolate for two weeks upon their return.
The rules apply to travellers arriving from anywhere in Spain, including the Canary and Balearic Islands. The UK government is now advising "against all but essential travel to mainland Spain".
All travellers arriving into England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are affected by the new guidelines.
Read more on the new measures here
Spain insists outbreaks are under control
The Spanish foreign ministry has responded to the latest UK measures by saying that Spain is safe for visitors and that new coronavirus outbreaks are isolated and under control.However, although the country ended its state of emergency barely a month ago, cities including Barcelona, Zaragoza and the capital Madrid have seen a surge in new infections.
Health officials reported more than 900 new cases of the virus on Friday and the government has warned that a second wave of infections could be imminent.
In response, Catalonia is closing all nightclubs and late-night bars in the region for the next two weeks.
The BBC's Guy Hedgecoe in Madrid says contagion among young people is a particular worry, as they have been gathering in large numbers in cities at night.
Norway has also said it will start quarantining people arriving from Spain, and France has warned its citizens not to travel to Catalonia. Belgium has banned travel to Huesca and Lleida, with recommendations against travel to a number of other areas in Spain.
Raab: We had to take 'swift, decisive action' on Spain quarantine rules
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the government could not apologise for the decision to re-introduce quarantine measures on travellers arriving in the UK from Spain at short notice.He told Sky News' Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: "The cases in Spain, the data came we got was on the Friday, showed a big jump right across mainland Spain, that was then assessed yesterday afternoon and we took the decision as swiftly as we could.
"And we can't make apologies for doing so."
He said No 10 must be able to take "swift, decisive action", especially in relation to localised outbreaks or those in particular countries, otherwise "we risk re-infection into the UK, potentially a second wave [of the virus] and then another lockdown".
He said he understood it is "disruptive" for holidaymakers in Spain or those who wanted to travel there, but reiterated his stance that the government must be able to take quick decisions.
Asked why No 10 could not have given holidaymakers an earlier warning, he said ministers had to be able to "gauge the data in real time".
He added: "If we suddenly say, 'we're not quite sure' and give vague advice, it would create more uncertainty."
He said it would have been "far worse to either muddy the waters or to hold back and delay from taking the measures when we need to take them".