France raises random border controls and quarantine for those who go skiing to Spain or Switzerland

France is considering establishing random border controls and forcing citizens who decide to go to neighboring countries to ski, such as Spain or Switzerland, to keep a seven-day quarantine, given that the national slopes will remain closed due to the coronavirus and that some States with those who share a border do not decide to do the same.

Although the details will have to wait until a decree is published in the next few days, the prime minister, Jean Castex, has already advanced this Wednesday the main decisions, which are known a day after the president, Emmanuel Macron, spoke of the need of a "deterrent" strategy.

Germany or Italy, on the French line, will also keep their ski resorts closed.

"We are going to establish a quarantine with the bordering prefects (of the regions), there will be random controls at the border," explained Castex on the BFMTV network.

Those controlled "will be placed in a seven-day quarantine and subjected to tests," he added.

His office later specified to this newspaper that the quarantine will be imposed on any randomly controlled person and not based on the results of a possible rapid test.

For its part, the

newspaper

anticipates that in addition to ground controls at neighboring borders, airport controls could also be established for travelers from non-neighboring countries with open runways, such as Austria.

The details, however, are not yet closed, the Government spokesman, Gabriel Attal, specified shortly after, who indicated that the Castex announcements are, for now, only "work leads" and that the strategy will be announced in next days.

Castex's decision to advance the announcements could therefore be seen as a warning for countries like Spain, which have yet to make a firm decision.

As revealed by the French Prime Minister, on Saturday he spoke about the issue with the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, who told him that the opening of the stations depends on the autonomous communities and that this Wednesday in the Interterritorial Council of the National System Health Department examines the opening of these facilities.

Last week, the Minister of Health, Salvador Illa, announced the creation of a working group with the communities that have ski resorts to study it, reports

.

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“I have the obligation to protect my citizens (…) other countries do not have the same conception and are within their rights (…) we would prefer a European harmonization, but the countries are sovereign,” said Castex.

However, he added, diplomatic efforts continue.

“I make an effort to call all the colleagues.

The Italian Prime Minister, the German Chancellor and France are aligned.

The Spanish and the Swiss are not oriented towards these decisions, but diplomatic action will continue ”, he assured.

The objective, in any case, is clear.

"The idea is to make it more difficult for the French to go to other stations," acknowledged Castex.

The conclusion that the French citizens should draw from the government strategy is that it is not worth the risk.

"The conclusion is that no, I am not going to Switzerland", has summarized the head of Government, for whom it is also a question of "equity" in relation to French ski resorts, which in principle will remain closed at least until January 20 .

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