Travellers arriving into Northern Ireland from Spain will have to quarantine for 14-days after a surprise announcement last night.

The measure came into force at midnight and has surprised holidaymakers on their way home.

It follows a surge in new cases of the virus in Spain.

The North’s Health Minister Robin Swann said the decision was “not taken lightly” and insisted, “I have always said I will move swiftly and take the necessary action to ensure our citizens are protected.”

“I have spoken with my counterparts across the UK today and we agree that the recent upsurge in new positive cases in different parts of Spain are a cause for concern,” he said.

Passengers on a flight from Madrid arrive at London Heathrow Airport, 26-07-2020. Image: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire/PA Images

The UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the decision to impose the quarantine, which is also in place for people travelling from Spain to England, Scotland or Wales, was taken “as swiftly as we could.”

Speaking to Sophie Ridge on Sunday on Sky News, he said officials “can’t make apologies” for responding to the “big jump” in Spanish cases.

“We must be able to take swift, decisive action, particularly in relation to localised, or internationally in relation to Spain or a particular country, where we see we must take action,” he said.

The news has left thousands of holidaymakers angry and disappointed.

Passengers check in prior to departure for London at a British Airways check-in desk at Adolfo Suarez-Barajas international airport on the outskirts of Madrid, 26-07-2020. Image: Manu Fernandez/AP/Press Association Images

Nathan Chapman returned last night - but his family are flying home this morning.

“It is a matter of hours,” he said. “We couldn’t get on the same flight.”

“They are going to have to self-isolate and I won’t, which is obviously up for debate.”

Mr Raab said he understands the move would be “disruptive for those going through this who are in Spain or have been considering going.”

He said the Government had to be able to “gauge the data in real time” and warned there was no guarantee other countries would not be removed from the ‘safe list’ with little warning.

Spain has recorded over 900 confirmed cases of the virus for the last two days in a row.

The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the situation in the country is “under control,” with outbreaks “localised, isolated and controlled.”