Laurence Dollimore
GOVERNMENT sources have revealed that Spain is planning to keep borders closed to most international travellers until July.
According to Reuters, the move is a bid to prevent a second COVID-19 outbreak.
“When we reach the new normal we can start opening borders with Schengen countries, we are talking about opening to these countries in early July,” one source told the news agency.
Another source reportedly backed up the comments, saying Madrid did not expect to reopen borders before July.
The comments, made on Wednesday, came a mere 24 hours after the country announced a 14-day quarantine to anyone arriving into Spain from abroad from May 15 and until the end of the state of alarm.
That date is currently set at May 24, but is likely to be extended given that the third phase of the de-escalation plan is scheduled to end in mid-June.
The first source added that two models were being proposed, ‘either sanitary corridors or medical-testing requirements.’
“This is the debate we are holding with other European countries,” the source said.
It comes as the European Commission revealed similar proposals today, with the possibility of a continent-wide agreement on travel between member nations.
This also included travel ‘corridors’, meaning countries could agree to allow travel between one another if they have similar COVID-19 incidence rates.
Destinations like Mallorca are already working on creating such a ‘corridor’ with Germany, its main tourism market.
