Spanish flight with 140 people on board is quarantined in Lanzarote after passenger gets positive coronavirus test result while in the air

• Plane was flying from Madrid to Lanzarote when the man received his results 
• On arrival, the aircraft was immediately zoned off by health and security officials
• As of today, Spain has recorded 27,119 deaths from the virus and 255,760 cases
• Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19

A flight with at least 140 people on board was quarantined today after a passenger received a positive coronavirus test result while in the air.

The plane, which arrived in Lanzarote in the Canary Islands from Madrid this afternoon, was immediately zoned off by health and security officials at Cesar Manrique airport, with the police also attending.

An investigation is already underway to find out why he was flying in the first place and whether he met all the travel rules, which only allow people to fly for a number of reasons, including work or in the event of an emergency.

Reports say the passenger took a COVID-19 test before he travelled because he had been in contact with someone who had died from the virus and had attended the funeral. 

However, he left before the result came in and it was only revealed he was positive when the aircraft was in mid-air. It has been reported but not confirmed that the person who died from the virus was the man's mother.

The Canary authorities were immediately contacted by the Castilla y León public health department and the airport launched all the coronavirus protocols.

The man now faces prosecution for skipping quarantine and the State of Emergency and has been reported for a possible crime against public health.

He and his nearest passengers were immediately isolated and the rest of the passengers will have to be quarantined and take tests to see if they have contracted the virus while on the flight. 

It is understood the island's government has offered them rooms in one hotel as they won't be able to mix with family members or friends.

The man and the passengers sitting closest to him will have to be in quarantine for two weeks. 

The others must stay in confinement until tests are taken in one week as only then would the result be accurate.

The incident adds fuel to the debate of travel generally and concerns over importing cases to regions, like the Canaries, which have had a low incidence of coronavirus and would not want to see any flare-up.

Lanzarote has only had six deaths and 84 positives. In total, there have been 160 coronavirus deaths in the Canary Islands which wants to protect its low incidence level for the safety of residents and tourists.

Today, independently from this incident, the Canary government has called for all travellers to take a coronavirus test before they leave their country of origin. 

As of today, Spain had recorded 27,119 deaths from the virus and 255,760 cases.