British foreign minister Dominic Raab on Sunday stood by his government’s abrupt decision to impose a two-week coronavirus quarantine on travellers returning from Spain, which has provoked anger and confusion among tourists.

The measure scuppered the plans of many people either on holiday or planning to take one there and also hit hard at the Spanish tourism sector just as it emerges from months of lockdowns and travel restrictions.

The move to take Spain off a safe-travel list was announced late on Saturday and took effect just hours later.

Raab defended it as a “real-time response” to a jump in coronavirus cases reported in Spain on Friday.