Scotland's First Minister Nicolas Sturgeon said Spain must stay on the list of countries where people need to quarantine if they come to Scotland.

She explained the rate of coronavirus infections in Spain was still too high compared to Scotland and so the country could not be included in a list of “air bridge” countries.

Other European countries like France, Italy and Germany did make it onto the list.

That means travellers entering Scotland from Spain must self-isolate for 14 days even if they have no symptoms. 

England will lift its obligatory quarantine requirement from travellers from Spain on Friday July 10th.

This is expected to prompt a wave of tourism from the UK, but visitors from Scotland will be dissuaded from travelling knowing they will have to enter quarantine on their return.

Sturgeon explained the reason Spain was omitted.

“Thanks to efforts all of us have made Scotland now has a low and declining prevalence of the virus,” she said.

“Our current central estimate is for every 100,000 people, 28 have Covid-19.”

She said in Spain the rate was 330 per 100,000 people.

Sturgeon reiterated that Spain's infection rate is more than 10 times higher than Scotland's.

“This variation feeds into the decision today,” she said.

The decision will be reviewed and Sturgeon hopes it could be lifted at the next review point on July 20th.

“All countries are keeping this under review including re-imposition of quarantine,” she added.