Spain's COVID infections rise, but Brits still flock to its beaches

A man on a jet ski returns a flamingo swim tube to tourists, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the south of the island of Gran Canaria, Spain, July 19, 2021. REUTERS/Borja Suarez

MALAGA (Reuters) - Spain reported a new jump in its COVID-19 infection rate on Monday, with 61,628 cases registered since Friday, just as fully vaccinated British holidaymakers flocked to its beaches, giving hope to the hard-hit tourism sector.

Since July 8, when Britain announced the lifting of a 10-day quarantine for returning vaccinated tourists from July 19, flight bookings to Spain have increased four-fold even though they remain far below 2019 levels, an airlines industry group said.