Spain to Reopen Borders on July 1st

Spain has decided to reopen its borders to foreign tourists. Spain’s Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto said on Monday that foreign tourists could be allowed to book vacations in Spain starting in July 1st. Spain is the world’s second-most visited nation and normally draws some 80 million visitors per year.

Currently, visitors from abroad must undergo a two week isolation upon arrival. No visitors would be willing to waste two weeks of their vacation under quarantine, so that has virtually decimated the industry.

“It is perfectly coherent to plan summer vacations to come to Spain in July,” Maroto said in an interview with local radio station Onda Cero, as per DW.

The announcement came after opposition parties organized protests over the weekend. In Madrid and Barcelona, cars, buses and motorcycles covered in Spanish flags. They honked and chanted anti-government slogans demanding the reopening of the country and the economy and also the Prime Minister’s resignation.

Spain is one of the hardest hit countries in Europe. Only recently United Kingdom surpassed in for the top spot. Spain has a total of 235,000 cases so far and close to 27,000 deaths due to Covid-19. The country underwent a strict lockdowns for two months, in which citizens were only allowed out for essential activities. However, in the past few weeks, rules have been relaxed and Spaniards have been able to take their children out for one hour of play time, as the country began to flatten its curve.