The Spanish authorities are considering the possibility of creating so-called safe corridors for foreign tourists arriving in the country, while the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing in other parts of the world to help the national economy recover faster, Teresa Ribera, Spanish minister for ecological transition, told Financial Times
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st May, 2020) The Spanish authorities are considering the possibility of creating so-called safe corridors for foreign tourists arriving in the country, while the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing in other parts of the world to help the national economy recover faster, Teresa Ribera, Spanish minister for ecological transition, told Financial Times.
The minister assumed that tourists would be able to return to Spain during the upcoming summer season if Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez relaxed the recently introduced two-week quarantine period for international visitors, which has been a big deterrent for foreign arrivals.
"We're thinking about safe corridors ... because in such a system people would come from zones where the infection rate of the last week or two would be below 0.3 per cent ... We would know that statistically the probability of a person being infected would be about the same in the destination and the origin," Ribera said.
Earlier this week, Spanish Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos said that the country may reopen borders to foreign tourists starting in late June, when Spanish nationals themselves are allowed to travel across the country again.
Entry from abroad is currently allowed only to Spanish nationals and permanent residents, border workers, medical personnel, diplomats, those providing care to elderly persons, air and sea crews, and those traveling for business or emergency reasons. All of them are required to spend two weeks in quarantine upon arrival.
Last week, Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya said that the authorities were aware of the importance of tourism for the economy and were eager to welcome tourists back as soon as the country fully takes control of the coronavirus outbreak. Tourism accounts for about 12 percent of Spain's gross domestic product.
Spain has so far confirmed over 123,500 coronavirus cases on its soil. The daily COVID-19 death toll fell below 100 on Sunday for the first time since mid-March. On Wednesday, the daily increase in the number of cases stood at 95.
