Are swimming pools open in Spain? Coronavirus latest for Spanish holidays

22 July 2020, 16:50 | Updated: 23 July 2020, 11:41

By Polly Foreman

With many Brits booking holidays to Spain this summer, here's your need-to-know on coronavirus rules for swimming pools.

Earlier this month, the UK government confirmed that holidaymakers will be able to travel abroad from England to 59 countries - without having to quarantine for two weeks on their return.

One of the 'air bridge' destinations is Spain, and many Brits have been travelling to the country over the last few weeks.

However, there have been recent warnings over issues with social distancing in some tourist hotspots, with some beaches temporarily closing to the public over the past few weeks.

Read more: Air bridges and travel corridors: How do you qualify for the travel exemption list in UK?

Are swimming pools open in Spain?

Those hoping to hit the pool on their arrival to Spain will be pleased to know that swimming pools are currently open.

The country opened its pools over May and June, but there are strict social distancing measures and capacity rules in place.

When pools in Spain originally opened, visitors were required to keep nine feet apart, and people were admitted one at a time.

According to a report by the Express, The Spanish National Research Council issued a report about swimming that read: "In recreational activities, SARS-CoV-2 infection by contact with water from standard bathing conditions is highly unlikely.

"However, these activities generally involve a loss of the recommended measures of social distancing.

Read more: Struggling parents can now apply for £150 school uniform grant if they work in a supermarket

"In swimming pools and spas, the use of disinfecting agents is activated in order to avoid microbial contamination of the waters by the influx of users and this measure should be sufficient to inactivate the virus.

"Regarding seawater, although there are currently no data on the persistence of SARS-CoV-2, the dilution effect, as well as the presence of salt, are factors that probably contribute to a decrease in viral load and its inactivation by analogy to what happens with similar viruses.

"However, the survival of SARS-CoV-2 in water from rivers, lakes, freshwater pools and untreated is superior compared to swimming pools and salt water and therefore, precautionary measures should be extreme to avoid agglomerations."

What's happening with the coronavirus outbreaks in Spain holiday destinations?

This week, it was reported that outbreaks in popular tourist spots could threaten holiday plans.

Spain has seen 5,695 cases of Covid-19 in the last week, up from 2,944 the week before - and on Friday, residents of Barcelona were told to only leave their home for essential trips. Local authorities in Spain have been given the power to close down beaches and impose curfews.

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