Spain Set To Avoid UK Travel Red List As Covid Cases Tumble
Spain News
Published: 20 August 2021 15:16 CET
Travel experts believe that Spain will avoid the UK's travel red list next week following a sharp fall in the country's Covid infection rate.
Spain is currently on the UK’s amber travel list, however, there were concerns that it would be moved to the red list after data revealed that a high number of travellers to the country were arriving back in the UK with Covid.
According to figures published Thursday by the European Centre for Disease Control, Spain’s average 14-day rate has now fallen from 604 per 100,000 last week, to 457.
With the next UK government’s review scheduled for August 25, the figures will be used to determine whether the country should be moved or not with any changes set to come into force on August 29.
As a result, it is now believed that the country will remain on the amber list, which will come as a huge relief to both the travel industry and British holidaymakers hoping to visit the country for the summer.
Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy the PC Agency, said there was “no chance” of Spain being moved onto the red list.
“Its infection rate is dropping fast, meaning any variants are very much under control,” he said.
“Spain’s rates are half those of France and its vaccine rate is 65 per cent fully-jabbed. British tourists there can rest easy.”
There are also fears that relegating Spain to the red list would put an impossible strain on the UK’s hotel quarantine system.
Scott Hadden, director of Mark Bratt Travel, said that he believed that it was unlikely that Spain would move into the red list.
“There are far too many people in Spain to be put into hotel quarantine and I think the Government would not want to risk the collapse of that system,” he said.
Hadden said that if the move did happen, it would cause massive short-term chaos with thousands looking to get home at short notice.
According to data published by Spain’s health ministry on Thursday, the current 14-day infection rate stands at 360 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, down on the previous week's figure of 462.
This compares to the UK’s current 14-day accumulated incidence rate of 605.
The number of hospital admissions in Spain has also continued to fall with 8,507 requiring treatment compared to 9,308 reported last week.
There are currently 1,847 patients in intensive care due to Covid in comparison to last week's figure of 1,922.
The drop is believed to be largely due to the increase in the number of people who have now been fully vaccinated. On Thursday, ministry data showed that 64.4 per cent of citizens had now been fully vaccinated, however, this is still well short of the 70 per cent figure the government was hoping to achieve by the end of summer for ‘herd immunity’.
Source
https://www.mscbs.gob.es/profesionales/saludPublica/ccayes/alertasActual/nCov/documentos/Actualizacion_444_COVID-19.pdf
https://www.mscbs.gob.es/profesionales/saludPublica/ccayes/alertasActual/nCov/documentos/Actualizacion_440_COVID-19.pdf
https://inews.co.uk/news/spain-red-list-countries-travel-update-review-british-people-latest-1158317
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/covid-travel-news-green-list-new-zealand-tests-vaccines/
