Spain battles to rescue tourism after UK quarantine order

Spain’s tourism industry is at increasing risk of being shut down as countries across Europe seek to restrict visits to the Mediterranean nation, following an order by the British government to quarantine visitors. A steady increase in new infections in Spain last week pushed Boris Johnson’s government on Saturday to order a 14-day quarantine for all travelers from Spain. Other European countries, including Belgium, France and Norway, have also begun advising against visits to certain areas in Spain, and more restrictions could be coming. The increase in new cases is “definitely an issue” for Berlin too, German Health Minister Dilek Kalayci said Monday. PM Pedro Sanchez’s government downplayed the trends as it sought to protect a sector that accounts for 12% of the country’s economy. “Spain is a safe country,” Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya said Sunday. “Spain has outbreaks. As do other countries. What’s important is that Spain is making great efforts to control these outbreaks.” But the risks are becoming all too real in Catalonia, where the regional government sounded the alarm as it seeks to contain the spread. Over the weekend, authorities put restrictions on nightlife, shutting clubs and requiring bars to close at midnight. “I wouldn’t make an appearance like this, nor a call like this is, if the situation weren’t critical, if the evolution of the data weren’t highly concerning,” Catalan’s President Joaquim Torra said Monday at a press conference. Still, Catalonia is safe for tourists, he said.<br/>