ANYONE travelling to the UK from one of its 'amber list' countries will not have to quarantine from July 19 onwards – provided they have had their complete Covid vaccine, says British transport secretary Grant Schapps.
Spain – along with France, Greece and Italy – is an 'amber' country, other than the Balearic Islands, which are 'green' and do not require quarantine in any case.
Travellers will still require an approved PCR test – one to be taken a maximum of 72 hours before arrival and another no later than the second day after entering Britain – even if they are fully vaccinated, but will not have to take a third test on day eight as is the case at present, and no quarantine is necessary unless they test positive, which is unlikely if they have been immunised.
'Fully vaccinated' is defined as at least 14 days having passed since the second jab, or since the single shot if it is a Janssen vaccine as this does not require two.
This means that if a person is inoculated for the second time on the very day 'amber-country' quarantine is lifted – July 19 – they would still have to self-isolate in the UK if they entered the country before August 2, when the 14 days from their complete immunisation had passed.
Even with travellers between the UK and 'amber' countries having to factor in the cost of two PCR tests to be able to enter Britain – independently of any required for entry to the country they are visiting from or returning from – this is still music to the ears of all those in Spain who rely heavily upon international tourism for their living.
Although holidaymakers from all over the world visit Spain year-round – not just in summer – the sun-seeking tourists during the hottest months make up a huge portion of those travelling to coastal areas and the islands; the vast majority of those from abroad are from northern Europe, and Brits continue to be the most numerous in these parts from approximately May to September, especially in July and August.
An estimated 400,000 British nationals live permanently in Spain and about half that number again of Spanish nationals live in the UK, but have not been able to see their families due to the quarantine issues.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com