Brits who show coronavirus symptoms in Majorca or Ibiza may be forced to quarantine in emergency apartments for 14 days

BRIT tourists who test positive for the coronavirus on Majorca and Ibiza face being ordered out of their hotels to self-isolate in apartments.

The islands’ health minister Patricia Gomez also hinted holidaymakers who start displaying Covid-19 symptoms or test positive could even be made to pay for their emergency accommodation.

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Spain opens up its borders to foreign tourism from July 1 and the authorities there are looking a means of keeping the country safe - including airport tests with a six hour wait for the results.

Gomez has now said the measures will also including quarantining those who become ill with the coronavirus.

“Both they and their close contacts, their families if they are travelling with them, will have to be quarantined for 14 days,” she told Diario de Mallorca.

“We are looking for apartments rather than hotels as accommodation if that happens, or small hotels that have felt it was not worth re-opening this summer.”

Asked who would pay the cost of the accommodation, she said: “We’ll have to see.”

Gomez added that “if we have a large outbreak among tourists this summer, we may have to consider closing Majorca again”.

PILOT TESTING

The Balearics plans to give permission for around 5,000 Germans to arrive in Majorca as a prelude to the opening of international borders and the scrapping of Spain's 14-day quarantine rule from July 1st.

The pilot see them tested on arrival with the results given in six hours and is currently awaiting the final go-ahead.

Local government wants the islands to be treated as one of the world leaders in dealing with the aftermath of COVID-19 and how to cope with international tourism again in the safest way possible.

About 3,000 Germans were originally set to take part in the experiment which will also test all the coronavirus protocols, from arriving at the airport, transfers to hotels, the accommodation itself, arrangements around the swimming pools, use of the facilities, trips out and their eventual return.

But that figure could now increase to 4,000 for Mallorca, 500 in Menorca, 500 in Ibiza and 100 in Formentera, according to Diario de Mallorca.

President of the Hotel Federation of Mallorca, María Frontera said the pilot test was essential to demonstrate that the Balearic Islands are a safe destination.

It is hoped it will help pave the way for other international tourists, including from Britain when travel is allowed.

According to , the Balearics attracted 13.6 million tourists last year and Brits were made up nearly a third of that number, closely followed by Germany.

TRAVEL QUARANTINE

There has been debate over whether Britons should be allowed to holiday in Spain after the Home Secretary Priti Patel's announcements that anyone who arrives into the UK after June 8, including returning Britons, will have to self-isolate for 14 days or face fines of £1,000.

Senior ministers warn it will hamper Britain's economic recovery from the pandemic.

The Centre for Economics and Business Research yesterday warned it could cost the economy £650million a week.

A senior industry source said: "I don't know anyone apart from Priti Patel and Dominic Cummings who are pushing for quarantine."

More than 80 company bosses have also called on the Home Secretary to scrap the quarantine plan, calling it "the very last thing the travel industry needs".

The news comes after Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez put the UK at the top of his list of target countries in talks aimed at reaching bilateral 'safe corridor' swaps to restart travel between European zones.

Meanwhile, Portugal has told Brits planning to holiday to areas like the Algarve will not need to be quarantined.

Countries being mooted as potential destinations under the "holiday corridor" proposals also include Spain, Italy, Turkey and Greece.

Hotels in Portugal are set to reopen on Monday and beaches from June 6 as the country opens its arms to foreign holidaymakers.

Spain has announced there will be no quarantine on visitors from July 1.

Greece said yesterday it will open to visitors from 29 countries from 15 June - but not including Britain.

The list will be expanded on July 1 to include other countries.

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