Dominic Raab warned that more summer holidays abroad could be ruined today as he said he could not guarantee more countries would not be slapped with quarantine rules.
He spoke out after holidaymakers already in Spain were told they would now have to spend 14 days in isolation on their return after air bridge rules were reversed overnight.
The change was made because of a spike in cases in the popular holiday destination, and it will raise fears that other countries could follow suite.
Asked on Sky’s Ridge on Sunday this morning if other countries could face fresh quarantine restrictions, Mr Raab said:’ Well, look, as we found with Spain, we can’t give a guarantee’
France, Germany and Australia are among countries that have recorded increases in cases in recent days.
Asked on Sky’s Ridge on Sunday this morning if other countries could face fresh quarantine restrictions, Mr Raab said: ‘Well, look, as we found with Spain, we can’t give a guarantee.
‘All we can say is we’ve got this Joint Biosecurity Centre, as you can see we monitor the risk in real time, we take decisive swift action and so there is an element of uncertainty this summer as people go abroad.
‘And that’s why our advice is follow the Foreign Office travel advice, which will also link in to the quarantine principles, look very carefully at doing that.’
He also refused to apologise for reimposing quarantine on travel to Spain today despite the fury of British holidaymakers who have already headed to the Costas.
The Foreign Secretary defended the decision by the Department for Transport to remove the country from a list of safe destinations in the wake of a spike in coronavirus cases.
The decision has left the estimated 600,000 British holidaymakers already in Spain or those preparing to fly out ‘panicking’ about a fortnight-long home quarantine when they return to the UK – which could leave some unable to work.
One holidaymaker described the decision as ‘ridiculous’, while another, an NHS project worker, claims his work will be delayed as a result of him having to self-isolate.
Transport minister Grant Shapps, pictured, travelled to Spain over the weekend and faces going into quarantine for 14 days upon his return to the UK after the Government’s decision last night
Labour’s shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth blasted the speed of the decision and the way it had been broken by a journalist on Twitter
And commerce chiefs say the ‘abrupt’ changes will also cause disruption for owners of companies, who will face losing staff for a fortnight with very little warning.
Travel industry chiefs say they understand the government’s decision, with Spain seeing a recent spike in coronavirus cases, but called for a re-think over quarantines for travellers from the Canary and Balaeric islands – where case numbers are much lower than the mainland.
Meanwhile Spain’s Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya has today hit back and declared Spain ‘safe for tourists’ and refused to comment on whether the country will retaliate with similar measures on incoming British holidaymakers.
Today Mr Raab said the decision to remove the quarantine-free travel with Spain had been taken yesterday based on data received and analysed on Friday.
Labour blasted the decision, which came into effect at midnight, as ‘shambolic’ after it emerged that even Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and business minister Paul Scully had been caught out by the speed of the move while on Spanish holidays.
Passengers queue in front of a baggage drop-off at Terminal 4 of Adolfo Suarez-Madrid Barajas International Airport in Madrid
A family all wearing face masks walks past a departures board at at Terminal 4 of Adolfo Suarez-Madrid Barajas International Airport in Madrid
One holidaymaker described the decision as ‘ridiculous’, while another, an NHS project worker, claims his work will be delayed as a result of him having to self-isolate. Picutred: Holidaymakers on their way home to Manchester from San Bartolome Airport in Lanzarote
But Mr Raab told Sky’s Ridge on Sunday: ‘The cases in Spain, the data came we got was on the Friday, showed a big jump right across mainland Spain, that was then assessed yesterday afternoon and we took the decision as swiftly as we could.
‘And we can’t make apologies for doing so. We must be able to take swift, decisive action, particularly in relation to localised, or internationally in relation to Spain or a particular country, where we see we must take action.
‘Otherwise, we risk re-infection into the UK, potentially a second wave here and then another lockdown.
‘So yes, I understand it is disruptive for those going through this who are in Spain or have been considering going but we must though be able to take swift, decisive action to protect the UK because we’ve made such progress in getting the virus down and prevent the virus re-taking hold in the UK.’
Labour’s shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth criticised the speed of the decision and the way it had been broken by a journalist on Twitter.
He told Ridge: ‘I understand why they have made the decision. But the way the decision has been made in the last 24 hours is frankly shambolic.
‘There are holidaymakers in Spain at the moment confused and distressed, there are people about to go on holiday to Spain and the islands like Tenerife who are confused. They don’t know if their employers will allow them to take two weeks’ quarantine.
‘The Government just saying that ‘we hope employers co-operate’, well I hope I will win the lottery on Saturday, it doesn’t mean it will happen.’
Mr Scully, who is also the Minister for London, is believed to be on holiday on the Canary Island of Lanzarote, after posting a picture from a beach resort there last night.
Responding to Mr Shapps’ predicament he added: ‘You couldn’t make it up. Grant Shapps is over there on holiday in Spain when he is the Transport Secretary. I think that tells you everything about the Government’s approach to this.’
Asked why the Government could not have given holidaymakers an earlier warning that Spain was being assessed for quarantine, Mr Raab said ministers had to be able to ‘gauge the data in real time’.
Flights from Spain arrived at Heathrow Airport today with passengers facing an automatic 14 day quarantine at their home or place where they are staying
A passenger speaks to the media after arriving at Heathrow Airport this morning from Madrid
Speaking to Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme, he added: ‘If we suddenly say, ‘we’re not quite sure’ and give vague advice, it would create more uncertainty.
‘There is a cut-off with changes in rules and advice we give, so I appreciate that that’s difficult and it can be disruptive.
‘But it would be far worse to either muddy the waters or to hold back and delay from taking the measures when we need to take them.
‘The reason this was taken at reasonably short-notice was the spike in Spain that we’ve responded to … so it was the real-time response, the data we were getting from Spain (meant) we had to respond very swiftly.’
It comes as today the head of the NHS test and trace scheme, Baroness Harding, told Times Radio testing people arriving back from Spain would not remove the need for travellers to self-isolate for two weeks.
Speaking to Gloria de Piero and Tom Newton Dunn this morning: ‘Although we’d love it to be true that if you have a test today, we can be confident in saying that you’re not infectious and about to come down with the disease, that’s not the way the virus works.
‘So a test today is only as good as saying you haven’t got the disease today. And the incubation period can be quite a long time, which is why if you’ve been in a very high risk environment, and right now, the judgement of our scientists and clinicians is that Spain is a high risk environment, we need you to isolate for 14 days because you might test negative today and test positive tomorrow, or the next day right up to the end of that 14 day period.’