Spain bans Brits until at least June 15 – but it could last until next YEAR
SPAIN has extended a ban on Brits and other travellers from entering the country until at least June 15 in the latest holiday blow.
But holidaymakers may continue to be denied entry into the country until next year, admitted Spain's foreign minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya.
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Spain is beginning to ease some measures but remains fearful of a second Covid-19 wave after recording the highest case count in the world aside from the US - with 274,369 infections and 27,459 deaths.
Madrid has now extended its ban on entry into the country for travelers, except for in exceptional circumstances.
The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office continues to advise against all but essential travel to Spain.
And all overseas travelers who do gain entry to Spain, including Spanish nationals, will be required to go into quarantine for two weeks.
All incoming people will have to remain in their homes and only be allowed to exit for groceries.
Tough new rules have also been placed on hotels as Spain's struggling tourist industry hopes to make a return, with beach capacity also cut by 60 per cent.
Foreign minister Ms Gonzalez Laya however added the chances of Brit holidaymakers returning the costas this year are slim, reports the .
She said new guidelines for people to be able to board planes and buses safely will have dreamed up before international travel can resume.
The minister said: ";As soon as we have coronavirus under control we will be able to gradually open our country."
Ms Gonzalez Laya suggested "green zones" could be set up across the continent which could allow travel between areas of limited infection.
However, popular holiday hotspot Benidorm has said it hasn't "given up hope" on British tourists returning to its beaches.
Mayor Toni Perez said he is confident Covid-19 will not beat Britain's love affair with the Costa Blanca resort, with four out of every ten holidaymakers coming from the UK.
Tough travel restrictions remain in place across much of Europe - despite nations beginning to reopen, with Slovenia becoming the first to declare itself virus free.
Britain's health secretary Matt Hancock admitted this week that summer holidays are "likely" to be cancelled amid the ongoing outbreak.
Speaking on This Morning, he said: "It’s unlikely big lavish international holidays are going to be possible for this summer.
"I just think that’s a reality of life."
The World Health Organisation has also warned of a second wave of coronavirus hitting Europe if lockdowns are eased to rapidly.
Dr Hans Kluge, the body's regional director, said that governments should be cautious when lifting restrictions and that now is the "time for preparation, not celebration".
He said a second wave of the killer bug, which has infected 4.5million worldwide, and killed more than 300,000, could hit Europe alongside an outbreak of other infectious diseases.
Spain declared a state of emergency on March 14 and has been gradually emerging from lockdown over the past few weeks.
Authorities fear the nation may face social unrest as protesters take the streets to oppose ongoing measures.
A confidential document drafted by the country's Civil Guard said there was a "high probability" of civil unrest over the coming months.
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Restrictions on movement are now being eased in around 70 per cent of Spain, but a full lockdown remains in place in parts, including Madrid and Barcelona, the country's two biggest cities.
The process of lifting it is expected to last until late June, but recent weeks have seen protests staged by people opposing the lockdown and accusing the government of exploiting the crisis.
Coronavirus has also plunged Europe towards recession as economies have shrunk in Germany, Italy, France and Spain.
