Spain has delayed reopening its border with Portugal by a week to June 30, the government announced Monday as the country entered a ‘new normality’ after the first wave of coronavirus infections.
THE border between the two Iberian countries was due to open on June 22, but Spain said only Portuguese citizens who are returning to their usual place of residence, be it Spain or other Schengen countries, will be allowed to cross the border this month.
Portugal is the only Schengen country Spain continues to restrict mobility with, after Madrid reopened the Spanish borders to all other Schengen countries on Sunday, with an eye on revamping its tourism sector. From Sunday, British tourists were allowed to visit Spain without being subject to quarantine measures.
The Spanish government also wants to decide this week on whether to keep travel restrictions with countries outside the EU, Spain’s Health Minister Salvador Illa told Cadena SER radio station today, adding that this is being discussed within the EU.
Meanwhile, high-speed trains and buses have increased their services as Spain concluded its de-escalation plan and entered the ‘new normality,’ a phase in which some precautions against Covid-19 will be maintained but lockdown is officially over.
“We must take into account that the virus is still with us, we have controlled it but we have not yet defeated it,” Illa said.
Eleven local outbreaks across the country have been detected but are all “under control,” Illa added. Spain has 28,323 reported deaths from Covid-19 and 293,353 confirmed cases.
