Spain has scrapped Covid testing and compulsory self-isolation, two years after it implemented one of the strictest lockdowns in Europe.

People will now not be required to take a test if they have mild symptoms of the virus. Instead, they should reduce social interaction as much as they can for seven days, avoid mixing with vulnerable people and wear a mask outside their homes, say public health officials.

Spain is one of the first countries to stop quarantine measures for people experiencing mild symptoms.

However, despite the change in restrictions, residents and tourists must still wear masks indoors.

Covid tests will now focus on the over-60s, the immunosuppressed, pregnant women and vulnerable people, states Spain’s Public Health Commission. In addition, tests will be reserved for hospitals and nursing homes, and also for serious Covid cases, reports The Express.

The country is currently grappling with the Omicron BA.2 variant, which makes up around 80% of case numbers in the Canary Islands.

The Public Health Commission stated: “The risk associated with this variant is considered low for the general population and moderate for the vulnerable population.”

The government said in January it would start to treat Covid as an "endemic illness", rather than a pandemic. The country has one of the highest Covid vaccination rates in the world, with 92.4% of over-12s fully inoculated.

However, entry rules have not been relaxed for Britons travelling to Spain on holiday. Tourists from the UK will need to be fully vaccinated or show a certificate of recent recovery. Britons aged between 12 and 17 will be permitted entry with a negative PCR test taken no longer than 72 hours ago.

Moreover, the Costa del Sol Tourism Board announced recently it is focusing more attention on German tourists in 2022. It said they tend to stay longer and spend more in Spain on average than UK tourists.