Lincolnshire reacts to new Spain coronavirus rules

The UK government is currently advising against all but essential travel to Spain, and has imposed the 14-day quarantine on anyone arriving from the country following a spike in cases.

Andy Fox, consultant in public health at Lincolnshire County Council, said anyone travelling to Spain would need to bear the quarantine period in mind.

“That is going to be too much for some people, it’s going to be tricky to do.

“That 14 day period of time will give plenty of time for you to develop symptoms and to get tested.”

The latest move has caused heated debate between the two nation’s governments’.

Mr Fox said it was “really important to remember that we are still trying to prevent that second wave of infection in the UK.”

Lincolnshire is now at the bottom of the peak and back to levels of new cases similar to the beginning of the pandemic.

“[It] could potentially be far more disruptive than the first time and require maybe a second lockdown, which we all want to avoid,” said Mr Fox.

“If it’s a choice between [quarantine] and entering another second wave, then the quarantine although disruptive – and I do feel for people whose holiday plans have been disrupted – will be far less disruptive than the impact of the second wave.”

He stopped short of saying Spain would be riskier than a staycation in Skegness and advised people travelling to ensure they take proper precautions against “unknown quantities”.

However, he said his family would be staying in the UK rather than travelling to France this year.

“I’m a big fan of holidaying overseas myself, I do love going to France, but for this period of time we decided to stay in the UK.”

Meanwhile, Lincolnshire Police is the only UK force to fine a person for breaching quarantine after entering the country from abroad.

The fine was issued in Boston to a 39-year-old man who arrived from Bulgaria on July 13.