A couple who already had to postpone their wedding due to the coronavirus lockdown may now have to postpone a £1,000 holiday to Spain due to new quarantine rules.

Michael Kamen and Lucy Fleming, from Watford, were planning to head to Alicante in Spain next week as a way to make up for their wedding which had to be rescheduled from August 8 until next year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The couple booked the trip two weeks ago to have something to lift spirits, instead of dwelling on the day that could have been.

But the Foreign Office have now said Spain poses “an unacceptably high risk for British travellers” and advises against all “non-essential” travel to Spain.

As a result all travellers from Spain to the UK must self-isolate at home for two-weeks.

While the couple say they are leaning towards cancelling the trip, they still have a bit of uncertainty whether they should continue their travels or not.

Mr Kamen said: “It’s not just a little holiday we were going on, we were going away because we were due to be married on August 8 which had to be postponed.

“So we thought rather than sitting around at home and watching the clock thinking ‘now is the time we’d be walking down the aisle’ - we’d want to not sit at home and take our eyes off it.”

The couple have until the end of this week to make their final decision.

He continued: “I’ve spoken to a lot of friends and family - if it was just another break abroad or any other year, I probably would cancel it.

“But because of the weight and gravity of what this holiday was for us, that’s why it’s been more-so.”

Watford Observer:

Alicante would have been a distraction trip from their wedding day

If the couple do follow through with their get-away plans, they believe that they would remain precautious during their trip.

In Spain, face masks are made mandatory in many outdoor settings as well as indoor public settings.

Mr Kamen said that if they do go on holiday, they would avoid large crowds or any settings where they could possibly contract the virus.

Instead he imagines the two would enjoy exploring the area, eating at restaurants and quiet bars, enjoying the beach, and walking up the Santa Bárbara Castle.

He said: “The only thing holding us back is we can’t get insured. The insurance that we had was invalid once the Foreign & Commonwealth Office changed the status of it. So, if we did go out there and one of us contracted it, and we ended up in a situation where we’d have to be hospitalised, then obviously we wouldn’t be covered by the insurance.

“That’s probably the biggest factor in us thinking it’s probably not worth it, we can just rearrange it.”

Miss Fleming, a teacher on her summer holiday, and Mr Kamen, an account manager who has been working from home, are not worried about the two-week quarantine affecting their careers.

However the couple do feel uncomfortable about the idea returning back to the peak of lockdown where they spend two-weeks indoors.

In response to hearing about the new quarantine rules, Mr Kamen said: “It did surprise me, I remember sitting on the sofa, watching telly and the breaking news notification flashed up on my phone.

“I followed the news and knew the cases in Spain were increasing in numbers a little bit, but it didn’t cross my mind that it would impact our holiday coming up.

“And we weren’t going to Madrid or Barcelona, or any of the outbreak spots, so it came as a surprise that it was the whole country.”

He added: “It’s the balance of a lot of things - obviously we’d enjoy a nice holiday, but then the risk of being out there and having to isolate ourselves when we get back, these are the kind of things that go into our decision.”

While the two are less worried about the possibility of contracting the virus - due to their high precautions they would take- they do fear that if they do catch it and symptoms escalated, they could require hospitalisation without insurance.

Mr Kamen concluded: “The one thing I don’t think was hundred per cent clear was the guidance, ‘essential travel’ to Spain isn’t the same as don’t go.

“They’re not bringing people back who are currently there and it’s been hard to understand what the exact message was - is this an absolutely don’t go order, or is it a go at your own risk and quarantine when you come back order?”

Have your travel plans been affected by the Spain quarantine or are you planning a trip abroad during the coronavirus recovery period? Let us know at: joseph.reaidi@newsquest.co.uk