New Covid strain: Spain delays UK flight ban and calls for ‘coordinated EU response’
Spain’s government decided on Sunday not to follow other European countries including France, Netherlands, Italy and Belgium and ban flights from the UK.
UPDATE: Spain has now suspended flights - latest news HERE
Instead the Government of Pedro Sánchez asked the President of the European Commission, Úrsula von der Leyen, and the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, to give “a coordinated community response” to prevent flights from the United Kingdom.
Any decision must be taken “to protect the rights of community residents through coordination, avoiding unilateralism”, the government said in a press statement stating that they hoped that there will be a “rapid response from the European institutions”.
A decision is expected to be taken at a meeting at the highest EU level planned for Monday evening.
But a ban does not seem far off and Spain may reassess and take the decision to do so if a EU-wide was not forthcoming,
“If there were not (a rapid response), Spain would act in defence of the interests and rights of Spanish residents.”
In the meantime Spain emphasised that PCR tests are required for those travelling from the UK - as well as other countries deemed high risk - for entry into Spain by air or sea.
?Ante la situación comunicada por las autoridades británicas y como medida inmediata, España reforzará en aeropuertos y puertos el control de verificación de pruebas PCR a las personas que lleguen del Reino Unido. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/bRCrxJjN2v
— La Moncloa (@desdelamoncloa) December 20, 2020
READ MORE:
Comments
See Also
UPDATE: Spain has now suspended flights - latest news HERE
Instead the Government of Pedro Sánchez asked the President of the European Commission, Úrsula von der Leyen, and the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, to give “a coordinated community response” to prevent flights from the United Kingdom.
Any decision must be taken “to protect the rights of community residents through coordination, avoiding unilateralism”, the government said in a press statement stating that they hoped that there will be a “rapid response from the European institutions”.
A decision is expected to be taken at a meeting at the highest EU level planned for Monday evening.
But a ban does not seem far off and Spain may reassess and take the decision to do so if a EU-wide was not forthcoming,
“If there were not (a rapid response), Spain would act in defence of the interests and rights of Spanish residents.”
In the meantime Spain emphasised that PCR tests are required for those travelling from the UK - as well as other countries deemed high risk - for entry into Spain by air or sea.
?Ante la situación comunicada por las autoridades británicas y como medida inmediata, España reforzará en aeropuertos y puertos el control de verificación de pruebas PCR a las personas que lleguen del Reino Unido. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/bRCrxJjN2v
— La Moncloa (@desdelamoncloa) December 20, 2020
READ MORE:
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.