From lounging poolside to dashing for flights: Spain tourists describe quarantine announcement chaos

Lying next to a pool on the Costa Del Sol, NHS worker Peter Anderson was finally enjoying a break with his family after months of stress and uncertainty because of the coronavirus pandemic.

But a relaxing Saturday afternoon turned into a scramble to try and book flights, after the Government announced that they were imposing a 14 day quarantine for anyone returning from Spain.

Like so many British tourists the Andersons were unable to beat the deadline to return home – as the Department for Transport gave just five hours’ notice of the change in the rules on Saturday.

The decision has left tourists frustrated and angry, with those already abroad fearing that they could lose their jobs or pay and many who were due to travel potentially losing thousands on flights and accommodation.

The abrupt change in the rules means that many were last night scrambling to cut their holiday short so that they could use some of their remaining time off to fulfill the quarantine requirements.

It is estimated that there are around 1.5 million British tourists either in Spain or due to travel there in the coming weeks.

Mr Anderson, 49, from Windermere, Cumbria, says that he believes he is exempt from quarantine as he is a key worker but will have to take time off work to look after his six-year-old son, Thomas, as his wife Gaynor has only just returned from furlough.

As she boarded a flight from Malaga to Liverpool after their eight-day break in Calahonda near Marbella, Mrs Anderson, 47, said: “We tried to change the flight back but we were still round the pool and the only one leaving that would have got us back before midnight was departing an hour later so it was too late.

“We wouldn’t have come to Spain if we’d known we were going to have to self-isolate when we got back. Not in a million years did we ever expect to find out the day before we were due to fly back.

“I think we should have got more notice, 24 to 48 hours at least, so we could have had more time to sort out alternative flights. That would have been more ideal.

“I know there are public health issues but it makes no sense to me that for the sake of seven hours or so we’re going to have to quarantine.”

There were queues at airports across the country as panicked tourists attempted to return home.

Dr Andras Szigeti, from Chelmsford, Essex, found out three minutes after touching down in Malaga on Saturday that he and his partner would have to quarantine on their return and they made the decision to turn back.

"Since I am a private doctor and I am the main breadwinner in the family, I cannot allow myself to lose half of my monthly salary," said Dr Szigeti who will now be using “at least part of my holiday as quarantine."

"Now we have changed our flights for the third time and altogether paid £600 for our one-night trip to the sun," he said.

Many of those who cut their holidays short, or were about to travel, were also confused about whether they would be able to get any money back.

Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said that many tourists will be “deeply angry” that they Government did not make the decision 48 hours earlier, when a spike in coronavirus cases in Spain became clear.

He said that those who had booked a package holiday are likely to be protected, but with flights still running and hotels open people who have booked separately are “unlikely to get a refund”

A spokesman for the Association of British Insurers (ABI) said that some annual policies taken out before March may allow people who cannot travel to get their money back, but most taken out after coronavirus was declared a pandemic will not cover the cost if the traveller choses to cancel.

Those already in the country will be covered by their insurance, but anyone who decides to ignore the Foreign Office’s warning against all but essential travel to mainland Spain is likely to invalidate their policy.

Tourists who do have to quarantine and cannot work from home will be reliant on the goodwill of their employers to give them the time off and they do not qualify for statutory sick pay.

Those who fail to self-isolate could face a £1,000 fine and even a criminal prosecution.

Dominic Raab, the Foreign Secretary, said no worker following quarantine guidance should be penalised by employers, adding: "If someone is following the law in relation to quarantine and self-isolating the way they should, they can't have penalties taken against them."

But the Department for Business was forced to admit that there was no law protecting employees, or specific Government help for those who lose out financially because of quarantine.

Danielle Parsons, an employment lawyer at Slater and Gordon, said that employees who have found themselves caught out are in “very weak” position as there is no legal requirement on bosses to give them the time off or pay them.

“It could be the case that if you are able to explain the situation to your employer you could take a period of annual leave or agree unpaid leave to cover the quarantine period,” Ms Parsons said.

“The reality is that this might lead to a dispute and you would only be entitled to make a claim for unfair dismissal if you had been with your employer for more than two years.”

Those who are self-employed and have income protection insurance will be unable to claim as it does not normally kick in until the person has been off work for a number of weeks, experts said.

Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow health secretary, said the Government's sudden decision to take Spain off the safe list had left holidaymakers "confused and distressed" and “ they don't know whether their employers will allow them to take two weeks' quarantine”.

“The Government is just saying, 'we hope that employers co-operate', he said. “Well, to be frank, I hope I win the lottery on Saturday but that doesn't mean it is going to happen.”

Among those returning to the UK on Sunday was Maria Belen, a 23-year-old is a nursery worker who had been visiting family in Grenada before her employer asked her to return to work.

“I couldn’t sleep, I’m really worried, I’m worried my job won’t pay me,” she said as she came through Heathrow airport.

“I went a bit crazy when I heard the news, I didn’t expect that.”

Adam Goodman, his wife and their three children - all aged under 14 - returned from Mallorca on Sunday and described the decision as “disgraceful”.

“We had some friends who came back yesterday, they're not quarantined,” he said.

“They encouraged people to go on holiday three weeks ago when we booked it, and if they encourage people to go on holiday they should at least give people a fair warning if they're going to change the situation.”

Despite the criticisms, Mr Raab said the Government would not apologise for failing to give notice as “the data we got was on the Friday, it showed a big jump right across mainland Spain”.

He said that he was “not going to tell people what they should and shouldn't do” but that he was “going to be staying at home this summer."