Spain coronavirus chaos as thousands of Brits scramble to get on flights after lockdown as TROOPS guard airports
THOUSANDS of Brits are stranded in Spain after the country entered a two-week coronavirus lockdown.
Troops are stationed at airports following the government's decision to impose emergency Covid-19 measures - forcing expats and tourists to stay in their homes.
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Nearly 1,000 Spanish soldiers undertook reconnaissance missions in the country’s main cities as floods of holidaymakers scrambled to leave the country.
Troops will also help carry out mass-disinfection across the country in an attempt to halt the spread of deadly coronavirus.
Hotels continued to clear out ahead of closures caused by the coronavirus crisis as holidaymakers rushed to return home.
Airport scenes were described as chaotic with troops stationed to help maintain calm.
Spanish airports operator Aena broadcast megaphone messages urging travellers to maintain a safe distance from each other.
But workers reported chaos at major transport hubs like Malaga Airport.
Charity worker Brigit Chattwell, 49, was one of the Brit tourists who cut short her holiday to Spain to see her sister as its government introduced a 15-day state of emergency.
She jetted to the Costa del Sol last Thursday and was due to stay till today.
But she ended up getting home a day earlier as Spain’s holiday resorts became ghost towns and Spanish police began to fine people for flouting orders to leave their homes or hotels unless it was to buy food or medicine or fill up with petrol.
Brigit, who lives near Royston, Herts, said: “I checked before I flew out to Spain and everyone was saying it was going to be fine.
“Things snowballed very quickly and the following evening I realised I needed to start thinking about getting out early.
“There was nothing available with Jet2 or Tui or Ryanair but I eventually managed to get a BA flight to Heathrow via Madrid which cost me 600 euros even though I had flown out of Stansted."
Brigit added the atmosphere at Madrid airport was "chaotic" with travellers panicking and just a few bottles of water left pn shop shelves.
The outbreak has killed 292 in Spain following a terrifying spike in deaths over the weekend, while the number of infected is now at 8,794.
In the Costa del Sol - home to 50,000 Brits - police can jail people and issue fines of up to £25,000 for anyone breaking the strict lockdown.
Cops in Spain stepped up their operation to force people to stay indoors over the weekend.
Helicopters and drones were also used to ensure locals and tourists confined themselves to their homes and hotels to stem the spread of coronavirus.
In Benidorm, worried town hall officials even used emergency loud speakers mounted on cars to demand holidaymakers stay off the streets.
Speaking on behalf of Benidorm Town Hall a spokesperson said today most tourists would be out of the resort by Thursday.
He said: “There were a lot of holidaymakers in Benidorm. Many of them had come here for St Patrick’s Day.
“There were more than 30,000 and many still remain but the hotels are emptying very quickly."
He also praised Jet2 for their quick response and said the amount of cancellations coming through to hotels and holiday apartment complexes is "crazy".
And Madrid City Hall chiefs confirmed this morning police had fined 199 people for flouting government orders to leave home in a bid to halt the spread of the coronavirus.
They also said one arrest had been made.
Some of the first caught flouting the government orders escaped fines this morning after agreeing to return home immediately.
However, others were hit hard after being outside without a good reason and picked up costly on-the-spot penalties - between £545 and £1,360.
Those who commit “serious” breaches of the lockdown have been warned they could also face prison sentences as well as fines topping £500,000.
Meanwhile, other European countries have made snap moves to enforce strict lockdowns, leaving Brits trapped.
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Two couples are stranded in Poland after the country went into lockdown due to coronavirus - the day after they arrived.
The group have since tried to catch two rescue flights home to Stoke-on-Trent but were turned away both times.
They are now hoping to get a plane today - otherwise face potentially being trapped in Poland indefinitely.
