Coronavirus: Spain lifts ban on flights from Italy and reopens sea border as lockdown eased

Spain announced a nationwide lockdown on 14 March

Terminal 4 of the Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suarez airport in Barajas on May 16, 2020

(AFP/Getty)

Spain has lifted a ban on all sea and air travel coming from Italy as it looks to further ease lockdown restrictions, officials have confirmed.

Travellers from Italy will have to comply, however, with a two-week quarantine like other foreign visitors, while a state of emergency remains in place.

Officials in Madrid announced a nationwide lockdown on 14 March in a bid to help stop the spread of the disease, but have begun to loosen measures in recent weeks.

Spain is among one of the worst countries affected by the virus in Europe. More than 27,000 people have died as a result of Covid-19, with a further 232,000 confirmed cases, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Belgium has the worst coronavirus mortality rate in the world, having recorded 66 deaths per 100,000 people. Officials in Belgium have recorded more than 9,000 deaths in a population of just 11.5 million.

For comparison, the mortality rate in the US, which has recorded over 90,000 deaths and 1.5 million confirmed cases, is thought to be about 19 in 100,000.

On Monday, Spain’s daily Covid-19 death toll fell below 100 for the first time since March, the country’s health ministry confirmed.

Salvador Illa, the health minister, announced on Sunday that regional authorities had confirmed 87 new deaths from the virus, the lowest daily number since 16 March.

At the peak of Spain’s coronavirus outbreak, more than 900 people were dying each day.

The figures came the day after Pedro Sanchez, the prime minister, said he hoped to extend the country’s state of emergency only until the end of June.

Authorities are also thinking about extending the obligatory use of face masks on public transport to all public spaces.

Mr Illa told reporters: “There is an ample consensus that we should reinforce the obligatory use of masks.”

Despite the easing of restrictions for Italy, it is unlikely that tourists will be allowed to enter Spain until the virus has been substantially subdued.

Over the weekend, Arancha Gonzalez Laya, a Spanish lawyer and former assistant secretary-general of the United Nations, told The Independent she thought that the country would not open up to tourists until the Covid-19 pandemic is under control.

Ms Gonzalez Laya said European countries will have to come up with innovative ways for people to be able to board planes and buses in order for international travel to resume in some way in 2020.

“This year will be tough because we will not be able to welcome the tourists as we have in previous years because of health and safety, not only of tourists but also of Spaniards,” she said.