A minister has said that the government had to act "rapidly and decisively" in order to impose a quarantine on those arriving into the UK from Spain.
Helen Whately, a health minister, said that the UK virus rate must be kept down in order to avoid a second spike, as seen in other countries. When asked whether or not similar restrictions could be placed on travel to France and Germany, Whately said that No 10 will continue to monitor virus rates and "take action" as required.
Labour has asked that support is offered to those who are currently forced to quarantine, noting that there is no guarantee employers will allow people to work from home for the required fortnight.
Whately believes that after the “sacrifices” made during lockdown, restrictions are being reduced “carefully”.
The new coronavirus travel rule was put into place following an increase in the number of cases of the virus in Spain earlier this week. After government confirmation, the new legislation came into place in under six hours, requiring all travellers from parts of Spain including the islands of Majorca, Menorca and Ibiza to self-isolate for 14 days following their return to the country, else risk a fine.
In that fortnight individuals may not attend school, work, or public places, and should not have visitors unless for essential support. If it is possible to rely on others for food, individuals should not leave the house.
According to Whately, the government had taken this action in order to "best protect the UK".
She concluded: "It is the right thing for us to do to keep an eye on the rate in these countries, so if we see something going on, like we've seen in Spain, we would have to take action."
