Spain bans flights from UK, except for Spanish nationals and residents

Spain is the latest country to suspend travel from the UK in the wake of the emergence of a new strain of coronavirus, which the British Health Minister, Matt Hancock, recently described as "out of control".

On Sunday, Belgium, Netherlands, France, Italy, Germany, Ireland, Bulgaria, Turkey and Austria all placed an immediate ban on flights from the UK. India, Hong Kong, Canada and Switzerland joined the list this morning, and Spain and Portugal followed suit this afternoon. 

After an EU crisis meeting was held in Brussels this morning, both Spain and Portugal took the decision to stop people flying in from the UK. From midnight tonight, the only people who will be allowed to fly into Spain are Spanish nationals and residents.

All passengers coming into Spain are already required to show proof of a negative result for a COVID-19 PCR test carried out in the 72 hours before entering the country, and this additional protective measure will remain in place.

In addition, the Spanish government reported that border controls between Spain and Portugal are also going to be tightened.

The new strain of the coronavirus, which scientists believe to be up to 70% more contagious than the existing strains, has already led to a tightening of restrictions in many areas of the UK itself, most especially in London and the South East, and a reversal of the planned relaxation of restrictions over the Christmas period for much of the country.

There is currently a hotchpotch of travel restrictions in place, with 17 European countries already having implemented their own unilateral, short-term solutions. At today's crisis meeting in Brussels, Spanish, Greek, Italian and Danish officials called for an urgent, common approach from the EU member states.