Germany has become the latest European country to warn against non-essential travel to Spain amid an uptick in coronavirus cases, although it appears to be taking a more targeted approach than the UK.
In a statement on its website, the German foreign ministry says that “unnecessary tourist trips” to the Spanish regions of Aragon, Catalonia and Navarra are “currently not recommended due to the high number of infections and local lockdowns”.
Confirmed Covid-19 cases have also been on the rise in a number of German federal states over the last few days, according to German public-health agency Robert Koch Institute, prompting fears that a second wave of the virus across Europe could be starting. RKI adds that Covid-19 cases “are increasingly being identified among people returning from travels outside of Germany”.
Germany’s travel advice on Spain centres on three regions in the northeast of the country where there have been recent spikes in coronavirus cases. The approach differs from that of the UK, which has advised against all non-essential travel to the whole of Spain, including its islands, and reimposed 14-day quarantine restrictions on arrivals from the country.
Airline industry representatives have been calling for a more regional approach to be taken as the sector attempts to get back on its feet and restore services across Europe.
Trade body Airlines UK, for instance, has urged the UK government to consider “regional travel corridors” that focus on specific areas where there have been upticks in coronavirus cases, rather than placing restrictions on entire countries.
German carrier Lufthansa states that it is “not currently planning to adjust our capacities from Germany to Spain”, adding: “We will not cancel any flights at the moment, but we will also not add any flights beyond those already planned.”
