Johnson said “swift and decisive action” was needed when risks appeared.
"Let’s be absolutely clear about what’s happening in Europe, amongst some of our European friends, I’m afraid you are starting to see in some places the signs of a second wave of the pandemic,” he said.
Speaking during a visit to a canal heritage centre to encourage UK holidays, Johnson added people would have to weigh up the risk of travelling abroad during the pandemic.
“I’m afraid if we do see signs of a second wave in other countries it is really our job, our duty, to act swiftly and decisively to stop travellers coming back from those places seeding the disease here in the UK.”
Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez has called the UK’s effective ban on travel to Spain “an error”, saying most parts of Spain have a lower rate of infection than the UK.
