The UK has made a mistake in bringing back a rule meaning travellers from Spain must stay at home for 14 days, Madrids prime minister has said, arguing that much of the Mediterranean country has a lower coronavirus infection rate than the UK.
The error, in my judgement, and hence the lack of alignment of the United Kingdoms response, is based on considering the cumulative incidence of [the virus in] the entire country, Mr Sanchez said in an interview with Telecinco television. The rebound in Covid-19 cases is focused in two regions, Catalonia and Aragon, he said, adding: In most of Spain, the incidence [of the disease] is very much inferior to even the numbers registered in the United Kingdom.
It comes as the head of the World Health Organisation warned the pandemic continues to accelerate with a doubling of cases over the last six weeks.
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Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the organisations director-general, said nearly 16 million cases have now been reported to the UN health agency, with more than 640,000 deaths worldwide. Covid-19 has changed our world, he said on Monday. It has brought people, communities and nations together and driven them apart.
Follow the latest updates
- UK has made mistake in bringing back quarantine rule for travellers from Spain, Spanish PM says
- Mediterranean country has lower coronavirus infection rate than UK, Pedro Sanchez argues
- Pandemic ‘continues to escalate’, World Health Organisation warns
Show latest update
2020-07-28T06:59:29.000Z
Quarantine policy an ‘error’, Spain’s PM says
Britain’s decision to quarantine travellers returning from Spain for 14-days was an “error”, Spain’s prime minister has said.
Pedro Sanchez pointed out that the upsurge in coronavirus cases is focused in two regions, Catalonia and Aragon, adding: “In most of Spain, the incidence is very much inferior to even the numbers registered in the United Kingdom.”
Britons make up over a fifth of foreign visitors to Spain, which relies heavily on tourism, and Madrid has said the UK government gave it no warning that the quarantine move was coming last weekend.
- Samuel Osborne
- 28 July 2020 07:58
2020-07-28T06:51:30.816Z
Good morning and welcome to the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic.
- Samuel Osborne
- 28 July 2020 07:51
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