The vice-president of the Junta de Andalucia and regional minister for Tourism, Juan Marín, has described the UK's decision to re-impose self-isolation on travellers from Spain as "very bad news".

Speaking during a visit to the Jerez motor racing circuit on Sunday for the Andalusian motorcycle grand prix, Marín stressed the importance of British tourism for Spain and Andalucía and expressed his view that the decision would have negative repercussions, especially for the Costa del Sol.

"We know the significance of British tourism because, although it isn't at the levels of other years, it is one of our main [markets]," said the vice-president, who said he understood that "the British government has taken the measure to save lives, but it is very bad news".

Spanish government response

Meanwhile the Spanish government has said that, despite the local Covid-19 outbreaks, the situation in Spain is "under control".

The statement came on Sunday in response to quarantine imposed on travellers from Spain by the governments of UK and Norway and to France's recommendation to its citizens not to travel to Catalonia.

"The government of Spain considers that the situation is under control, the outbreaks are localised, and have been isolated and controlled," sources from the Spanish Foriegn Ministry told AFP.

"Spain is a safe country," stressed sources, who added that in the case of the United Kingdom, Madrid was "in contact" with London, whose decisions "we respect".

The British government imposed a 14-day quarantine on travellers from Spain on Saturday night and advised against "all but essential" travel to the Spanish mainland.

Norway has also brought in self-isolation rules for people arriving from Spain, in its case for ten days.

France has advised against travel across the border to Catalonia, one of the Spanish regions where cases have increased most.

In Spain on Sunday morning, official figures showed 280 local outbreaks of Covid-19 and case figures have tripled in recent days.

In Catalonia, with more than half of the new cases detected, the authorities called ten days ago for residents in the Barcelona to stay at home unless outings were necessary.

The Spanish government has ruled out the possibility that Spain is experiencing a "second wave" of the pandemic and said that regions are prepared to deal with outbreaks.