Hope for Spain holidays as country hits 5m vaccinations ahead of target
BRITS wanting a summer holiday in Spain have been given fresh hope as the country has hit their 5m vaccine target ahead of schedule. The country aimed to have given the both doses of the vaccine to five million people by the first week of May – as of Monday, they hit 5,098,903 people. Spain […]
BRITS wanting a summer holiday in Spain have been given fresh hope as the country has hit their 5m vaccine target ahead of schedule.
The country aimed to have given the both doses of the vaccine to five million people by the first week of May – as of Monday, they hit 5,098,903 people.
Spain has now given 10.8 per cent of the population both jabs, while 24 per cent have been given the first jab.
While this is still much further behind the UK’s 51 per cent, with 50m jabs given out and a quarter now fully vaccinated, it has sparked hope that the rollout will speed up in time for the holiday season.
Spain hopes to have 70 per cent of the population fully vaccinated by the end of August, with the next goal to have 15m vaccinated by next month.
While many European countries saw a slow start to the rollout of the vaccine, it has now increased in pace – Spain had more doses given in April alone than the first three months of 2021 combined – and has given fresh hopes for holidays to resume.
The UK government is expected to announce tomorrow which countries will be on the traffic light system’s “green list” which will allow Brits to return without having to quarantine.
However, Spain is unlikely to be on the green list at first as the Covid situation is still a risk to the UK, along with the vaccine rollout still needing to improve.
Instead, it is likely to be on the amber list which will require Brits to self-isolate for 10 days back in the UK, as well as have to Covid tests.
The country could be added to the green list from June, along with Greece, Italy, France and even the US is cases continue to fall.
Spain is desperate for Brits however, with hopes Brits can return with vaccine passports by June.
Spanish tourism minister Fernando Valdes Verelst said: “June will be the start of the recovery of tourism in Spain.
“By then, we will have a digital vaccination certificate in place and we will be able to reopen our borders.”
It will begin a trial of accepting digital passes for its own nationals at Spanish airports this month with the aim of preparing for UK holidaymakers arriving in June.
He also explained: “Because of the progress in our vaccine rollout with 22 per cent of our population having had their first dose already, we expect by June to be at the green light.
“We are having close conversations with UK authorities and we are exchanging information on Spain’s digital system and the trial happening at our airports in May.”
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Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said earlier this week that the islands could open up earlier than the mainland in a similar island travel corridor scheme to last year.
The Foreign Office even removed its travel warnings for some Greek and Spanish islands – suggesting they could soon be welcoming back British tourists.
However, insiders have warned that the islands are likely to stay off the green travel list at first, despite lower Covid cases.
Benidorm bar owners are gearing up for their “best ever” summer blowout with pints from £1.30.