Ibiza holidaymakers must prove they don’t have coronavirus, says island leader

There are calls to introduce a certificate

Cala Salada beach on Ibiza's west coast (istock)

Holidaymakers planning a trip to Ibiza should prove they don’t have coronavirus before they can enter, the Balearic island’s leader has said.

The Spanish island would require visitors to have a “Covid-19 Free” certificate to be admitted, as part of measures to prevent another spike in virus transmission.

Vicent Mari, the leader of the Island Council, told local media that the Spanish government should implement the system, which would be “fundamental” in helping the tourist hotspot to reopen safely, reports the Mirror.

Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, recently confirmed a date of 1 July for reopening the country to tourists.

Although Spain was initially one of Europe’s coronavirus hotspots, the country’s number of new daily cases has now dropped to levels seen in early March, at around 500.

It’s death toll currently stands at just over 27,000, 10,000 under the UK’s number of deaths from Covid-19 at the time of writing.

The nation started easing lockdown measures from 4 May, in a four-phase plan spanning eight weeks, with different regions entering different phases at different times depending on their progress.

Spain has the second biggest tourism industry in the world when it comes to foreign visitors, and the sector makes up around 15 per cent of the country’s GDP.

UK tourists account for a large percentage of Spain’s visitors, with 18 million Britons heading there every year.

However, even with Spain’s tourism sector set to reopen, UK holidaymakers may not feel confident booking.

The FCO’s blanket ban on non-essential travel remains in place, with no end date in sight, and home secretary Priti Patel has announced plans to implement a 14-day quarantine period for anyone returning to the country from abroad, starting 8 June.