Spain implements mandatory 14-day quarantine for all incoming travellers
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Spain will be implementing a 14-day mandatory quarantine for incoming visitors from overseas, in a bid to contain the spread of Coronavirus. This will come into force from Friday this week, as the country prepares to emerge from a nationwide lockdown. This decree was announced by the country’s Health Ministry.
As per the latest reports, the official order states that incoming travellers will need to remain in quarantine for 14 days, and will be allowed to step out only for grocery shopping, or visit health centres, in case of any emergency.
Travelers will have to provide their complete passenger location card to the authorities, so that they can be contacted during quarantine. They will have to be quarantined at home or in their place of accommodation. However, people like healthcare workers and cross-border workers, will remain exempt from the said quarantine rules as long as they manage to stay away from any known patients.
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Reportedly, Spain closed its land borders on March 17, and is now gearing up to reopen air and sea borders from May 15. The 14-day quarantine measure will be applicable for all travellers travelling to Spain from May 15, and will be in place till May 24, when the state of emergency is scheduled to end. The order might likely be extended, as there is a possibility that the state of emergency might also extend. Spain, so far, has witnessed one of Europe's strictest coronavirus lockdowns, and has extended its restrictions four times since mid-March.
Reports state that extension of the state of emergency will further hurt Spain’s tourism industry, which represents around 12 per cent of its GDP (Gross Domestic Product).