Government recommends 'high degree of caution' on travelling to certain areas in Spain

The Government has advised against “non essential” travel to parts of Spain.

Tánaiste Simon Coveney tweeted: “This evening we are upgrading our overall security status in respect of Spain to “exercise a high degree of caution” & advising against non-essential travel to the following areas: Madrid, Vitoria & Labastida in the Basque Country and La Rioja.”

TRAVEL ADVICE 2/2: re #COVID19 .This evening we are upgrading our overall security status in respect of Spain to “exercise a high degree of caution” & advising against non-essential travel to the following areas: Madrid, Vitoria & Labastida in the Basque Country and La Rioja.

— Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) March 11, 2020

A statement on the Department of Foreign Affairs said: "A significant number of cases of novel coronavirus (Covid-19) have been confirmed in Spain, on the mainland as well as the Balearic and Canary Islands.

"If you are in Spain, you should monitor developments regularly and follow the advice of local authorities."