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Coronavirus and vacation: precautions

2020-07-19T12:45:40.903Z


Where can you travel now in France, Europe and beyond? In what conditions? What to do if you experience symptoms of Covid-19 at your place of residence this summer? Our guide.


Holidays and coronavirus: find all our practical and updated articles

  • In this context of the Covid-19 pandemic, in which countries can French people travel, in Europe and in the world, and with what formalities? Our map updated regularly.
  • Your flight is canceled, you want to make sure that each member of your family is covered in the event of a problem ... All the answers to your questions on travel insurance and the guarantees offered by your bank card.
  • Social distance on the beach, no buffet at your hotel ... this is what your summer will look like at the time of Covid-19.
  • Mask, virucidal ... the essentials not to forget in your suitcase this summer.
  • Refunds, credits ... all the answers to your questions if you have canceled a trip or a flight, or you plan to do so

Can we travel to the overseas territories and Corsica?

Since June 22, all travelers can move freely between France, Martinique, Guadeloupe and Reunion. Since July 10, the mandatory seventh on arrival in these overseas territories has been abolished. But a PCR screening test must be performed within 72 hours before the flight. You can therefore plan a stay in these islands now.

However, this is not the case for Guyana and Mayotte, where the state of health emergency has been extended until 30 October inclusive, as the Covid-19 is still operating there very actively. Travel is only allowed if there is a compelling reason. Which excludes tourism.

Read also: DOM-TOM: three things to know if you go on vacation to the islands this summer

On the Corsican side, tourist life is slowly resuming its course since the lifting, in early June, of the government decree which prohibited air connections between the island and the continent and blocked the restart of the tourist season. Air services have only partially resumed but the companies seem determined to accelerate and Orly airport reopened on June 26. Since July 13, thermal cameras have been installed in the four airports of the Isle of Beauty, in order to identify feverish passengers. However, no isolation or obligation is provided for if necessary.

A territorial brand of health reinsurance, Safe Corsica, has been established with full regulations for all stakeholders in the tourism industry (hotels, lodges, campsites, but also restaurants and companies). The leisure offer remains unchanged but adapts to the principles of physical distance.

Read also: Corsica: three things to know if you go on vacation to the Isle of Beauty this summer

Can we travel to Europe?

You can go to most countries of the Old Continent this summer. Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain ... bet on a tourist season in July and, above all, in August.

On June 15, France and many European countries authorized their nationals to circulate in the European Union, the Schengen area and in the United Kingdom. Since then, the number of States reopening their borders to Europeans has been increasing. Only Finland remains closed to the French.

But beware: in some open states, restrictions on entering the territory. In Ireland, for example, travelers must observe isolation for 14 days upon arrival in the territory. In Greece or Croatia, travelers must complete an online questionnaire before departure. Tests by thermal or human cameras can be carried out on arrival. And self-isolation measures demanded in the process.

Read also: Open or closed borders: entry rules for each European country this summer

Can we travel beyond Europe?

Apart from the Old Continent, few countries allow, for the time being, the resumption of tourism. Only Tunisia and Turkey allow French tourists to freely enter their territory. In Dubai, all travelers with a negative PCR test less than four days old are accepted.

On June 30, European states agree on a list of countries whose nationals can travel to the Old Continent. But most of the countries on this list, which must be updated every two weeks according to the evolution of the epidemic situation, do not allow Europeans to cross their borders. France nevertheless wanted a principle of reciprocity to apply ...

Read also: Summer holidays 2020 and coronavirus: in which countries can French people travel?

Australia, for example, whose nationals are welcome in France, does not allow French tourists to set foot on its soil in return. As well as Morocco, Algeria, Japan and even Thailand.

Several countries do not strictly prohibit entry to French tourists. But they put in place many restrictions, making travel difficult. This is the case in South Korea, where all travelers can be detained at the airport between 6 and 24 hours after being tested, or Cambodia.

In Mexico, travelers only need to perform a temperature check and complete a health questionnaire. But the health situation there seems out of control. The French Embassy in Mexico City therefore recommends that French people postpone their travel plans to the country.

Read also: When will we be traveling abroad again? Maldives, Tunisia, Morocco ... The latest information to know

Beaches, swimming pools, museums, outdoor activities ... What sanitary measures apply in France?

From the North to the Côte d'Azur, passing through the Basque Country, health security measures have been in force on French beaches since June 2. No question of sticking your napkin to that of a stranger, or enjoying the terrace of a bar or a beach restaurant without respecting the distance of one meter from another table. Some cities with cabins, like Dunkirk, have established an online reservation system to avoid queues.

Bathing in seawater would not present any risk of contamination as long as the distances between bathers are respected. The French Research Institute for the Exploitation of the Sea (Ifremer) claims to have detected no trace of Sars-Cov-2 in the seawater samples and shellfish examined on the French coast since April.

Read also: David Lisnard: "We have doubled the size of the Croisette beach"

The restrictions will also follow vacationers at the swimming pool , even if those containing chlorine "do not seem a suitable place for the survival and development of viruses" , according to the French Society of Hygiene Hospital. For the reopening of private pools for collective use, like those of hotels, the health authorities recommend a limitation of three bathers per 2m² and a distance of at least one meter between each deckchair.

In order to enforce physical distance even in water, swimming pools apply the rule of 4 m² per person.

Read also: Coronavirus: can you swim safely in private pools?

In museums and cultural sites , each establishment has its own health rules. In addition to wearing a mask, the installation of hydroalcoholic gel dispensers and a reservation and quota system are measures widely applied in exhibition spaces.

Other sites have introduced one-way traffic and eliminated group visits.

In terms of activities , each sport is governed by very specific protocols. For climbing, for example, powdered magnesia is replaced by liquid magnesia which contains alcohol to prevent the virus from spreading on the catch. For water sports, the equipment will be disinfected before each handling. Video tutorials will support the explanations of the monitors, who no longer have to approach the participants to correct their gestures.

Walks in the heart of nature are also very supervised. The physical distance must be measured according to the walking speed of the practitioners and the risk of contamination by droplets of perspiration. "Thus walkers moving at a speed of 4 km / h will take care to keep a spacing of at least 2 meters, while walkers at 6 km / h will space at least 5 meters" , theorizes the French Federation of hiking. To avoid having to improvise surveyors on the trails, we will simply favor the less traveled routes.

Read also: Corsica on foot: three hikes away from the crowds

Masks, hydroalcoholic gel: what precautions to take this summer?

The health context makes it necessary to expand the travel necessities. Before packing your bags, make sure you have bottles of hydroalcoholic gel and surgical or cloth masks that cover your nose and mouth. Not all hydroalcoholic gels are created equal. The National Medicines Agency recommends those that carry the NF EN 14476 standard, which certifies that the product kills bacteria, fungi and viruses at the same time.

Also read: Mask, virucide, green sunscreen… The essentials to pack in your suitcase this summer

In France and abroad, wearing a mask is recommended or even compulsory when it is not possible to maintain a distance of one meter between each person. It is compulsory in public transport (train, plane, metro, etc.), and tends to become so in public places, closed in particular (shops, etc.) under penalty of a fine. It will become mandatory in France in the latter category, and this from the week of Monday July 20 announced Prime Minister Jean Castex.

Holiday clubs, campsites, hotels ... invite customers to also wear it in common areas: restaurants, bars, corridors, elevators and spas. As a precaution, also take a thermometer to take your temperature wherever you are, and thus remove any doubts.

Read also: In Les Arcs, Club Med reopens its first French village

What to do if you have symptoms of Covid-19?

  • In France

Cough, fever, difficulty breathing, loss of taste or smell ... So many symptoms that should alert. If there is any doubt, you must first isolate yourself and stay away from your loved ones, then consult a general practitioner near your vacation spot, either in an office or by tele-consultation. To locate a doctor, use the Doctolib.fr website or contact the government platform dedicated to Covid-19, which can be reached on 0 800 130 000. In case of emergency, contact your doctor or 15 (Samu).

The doctor may order a Covid-19 screening test. The Ministry of Health maintains a map of the 3,300 centers performing PCR tests in France on its site. The results are known within 48 hours. These tests sold for 54 euros are reimbursed 100% by Health Insurance in two cases: if you have symptoms and have a medical prescription; if you are identified by Health Insurance or the Regional Health Agency (ARS) as a "contact case" of an infected person.

  • Abroad

In the event that you have some of the symptoms mentioned above, the isolation measures to apply are the same as in France. If you have the option of going to a medical facility, notify them in advance before going there for an examination. Some French embassies have also set up medical units and hotlines to answer questions from their nationals.

In case of emergency and need for repatriation, get closer to your insurance, and find out about the terms and conditions related to repatriation. The procedures to follow differ according to the structures.

Also read: Accident and illness during a trip: get repatriated or get medical treatment on the spot?

Travel insurance: what precautions to take?

Even if air traffic gradually resumes service, forced vacation cancellations are still frequent. If the flight or stay is canceled by the travel agency or the airline, it is up to them to offer a refund or credit.

But if the cancellation is yours, it is better to have taken out travel insurance. They can reimburse the stay for any event of force majeure occurring between the purchase of the trip and the departure date. Please note, not all of them take care of the consequences of a positive test or the appearance of symptoms of Covid-19, you must read the general conditions.

As for medical costs, abroad, the vital card is of no use. In the countries of the European Union and the European Economic Area, to benefit from these costs, you must obtain the European health insurance card, to be requested on the ameli website. Under certain conditions, it allows medical expenses to be covered for any trip of less than 90 days.

In the rest of the world, with all exceptions, you will be responsible for all of the care.

Also read: Summer vacation and travel insurance: coronavirus, canceled plane ... six questions to ask yourself

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2020-07-19

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