Spain Closes Its Doors To Unvaccinated British Tourists In Rapid U-Turn

Just one day after the Spanish tourist board in London announced the country will open up to unvaccinated British holidaymakers, it has made a U-turn on its decision.

Yesterday (6 April) morning, the board said all UK tourists who aren't vaccinated against Covid-19 would be allowed into Spain so long as they could show evidence of a negative PCR or antigen test, or proof of diagnostic recovery.

However, the decision has since been reversed, with the board's deputy director citing 'miscommunication' due to a 'misinterpretation of the rules' set out in a bulletin from Spain's health department.

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For the Brits aged 12 and above who were hoping to travel to the European country this summer, they'll have to show proof of being fully vaccinated or a certificate of recovery obtained no more than 180 days prior to travelling.

For those aged between 12 to 17 years old, they can enter Spain without being vaccinated so long as they can provided a negative and approved PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival.

Deputy director of the Spanish tourist board in London, Pedro Medina, apologised for the miscommunication.

He said in a statement: 'We apologise unreservedly for the miscommunication earlier today which was due to a misunderstanding of the new entry requirements."

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The tourist office added: "If more than 270 days have passed since the final dose, certification of a booster vaccination is also required, except for teenagers aged 12 to 17 inclusive."

The only minor change that has been put in place is that from 6 April, children under 12 and those travelling to Spain with an EU Covid passport or equivalent no longer need to complete the Health Control Form (FCS in Spanish) before arriving.

Those without an EU Covid pass or equivalent must complete the Health Control Form to show evidence of their vaccinations or certificate of recovery.

The news may impact tourism in Spain, with the UK remaining one of the leading source markets for the sector.

Dozens of people took to social media to share their support for the decision, with one writing on Twitter: "With infection rates soaring again in UK, don't blame them."

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This week, a new Covid variant was found in the UK, with hundreds of cases already detected.

Experts recently warned of a new Omicron strain - BA.2, otherwise known as 'stealth' Omicron - that was on the rise and much harder to detect.

Well, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has now revealed that another variant, Omicron XE, has been detected in 637 people.

A mutation of the Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 strains, XE is thought to be more transmissible than stealth Omicron, though more research needs to be carried out on the variant.