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Spain, France, Italy… quarantine for travelers settles in Europe

2020-05-12T13:33:40.979Z


In Europe, deconfinement does not rhyme with freedom of movement beyond borders, far from it. Quarantine remains for good number


While most European countries are gradually waking up from confinement lasting several weeks, it will still take time to recover the population flows from previous months. And for those who manage to obtain derogations authorizing them to cross the still closed borders, the road remains tortuous.

Like France, several countries have chosen to place these travelers in quarantine, for fear of bringing in the coronavirus. With some exceptions, however. Le Parisien takes stock of these measures which, if they are prolonged, could well impact our summer holidays.

In France, exempt European travelers

Last Thursday, the Minister of the Interior Christophe Castaner announced that in spite of a cautious deconfinement, the restrictions on the borders of France, with the countries of the European space were "extended until June 15 at least" . Borders with non-European countries remain closed “until further notice”.

Measures of quarantine of 14 days, as a preventive measure, are provided for in the text of the law extending the state of health emergency, passed last night, for people "having stayed during the previous month in an area of circulation of the infection ", when they arrive in France, Corsica and the overseas territories.

Last week, the Elysée Palace, however, exempted from these provisions travelers from the European Union, the Schengen Area or the United Kingdom, regardless of their nationality. The transport companies must transmit the information of the passengers concerned to the health authorities and the latter are free to choose their place of isolation.

Workers spared in Spain

In a decision published on Tuesday in the Official Journal, the Spanish authorities, anxious to supervise the gradual deconfinement of this country particularly affected by the virus, decided to force travelers, upon arrival, to quarantine for 14 days. This measure will take effect on Friday and will be effective for the duration of the state of emergency, scheduled until May 24, but which could be extended.

Several categories are nevertheless excluded from this measure, if, of course, they are not considered a suspect case: carers coming from abroad to work, cross-border workers, people transporting goods as well as airline crews.

Those concerned will have the right to leave their place of isolation only to benefit from care or make purchases of first necessity, or "in case of force majeure", all wearing a mask and tour operators are now forced to '' inform their customers of this measure. French people are not, to date, allowed to go to Spain for reasons other than professional or imperative and can therefore, according to these reasons, be exempt from quarantine. However, it is not unthinkable that travel could resume in the coming months, especially for cross-border workers. With a question: if Spain prolongs its state of emergency, will it lift this quarantine measure?

In the United Kingdom, the French privileged?

These are only food for thought, but British Prime Minister Boris Johnson outlined his ambitions for the deconfinement of the country, which is paying a heavy price for the epidemic, on Monday. Boris Johnson, who wishes to avoid "re-infections from abroad", wants to quarantine all travelers who arrive in the country by plane. To date, the United Kingdom is one of the rare countries in Europe not to have established health controls, particularly temperature, at its borders.

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In a press release issued on Sunday, Paris and London add considerable clarity: “No quarantine measure will apply to travelers from France at this stage. The Irish will also be spared. For other travelers, this quarantine, lasting 14 days, has some vague outlines: where will hotels take place in requisitioned places? Under what conditions and until when? The government should clarify this scenario in the coming days. “No one is going to go on vacation […] and business travel will be severely limited,” warned the British airline lobby, which believes that this measure will “kill international travel to and from the Kingdom. -United ". Since the start of the epidemic, 15,000 travelers have been arriving in the country every day by air, without being quarantined.

In Germany, already a month of strict quarantine

If Germany gradually deconfines since May 4, controls remain tightened at the borders. Tourist or professional travelers are prohibited and a quarantine of 14 days at home is in force since April 10, for anyone arriving in the country, "regardless of the mode of transport and after a stay of several days abroad “, Specifies the quai d'Orsay. He stresses that "this provision concerns Germans, EU citizens, countries which apply the Schengen acquis or anyone residing in Germany". All are forced to notify the health authorities upon their arrival and once quarantine is effective, they are not allowed to receive visitors, except members of their household. Depending on the offense, the fine for non-compliance with this quarantine varies from 150 euros to 10,000 euros.

As in Spain, certain travelers are nevertheless accepted without this isolation and in the absence of symptoms: cross-border workers, those who transport goods, transport staff who have to travel abroad or seasonal workers (under conditions) . When entering the territory, a declaration form must be completed. It is therefore impossible, at this stage, for the French to travel to the country without professional motive.

In Italy, caution remains

The first country in the European Union to be affected by the epidemic, Italy put in place measures to protect travelers from abroad very early on. The borders are not closed between France and Italy but very monitored, in order to authorize on the peninsula only the passengers who came for supervised reasons: professionals, health, an absolute emergency or a return home. Some flights are still operated between France and Italy.

The Italian Ministry of Health obliges anyone entering Italy to report to the health authorities and, without exception, "submit to a measure of self-isolation" for a period of 14 days, says the Quai d'Orsay. These measures do not apply to people who are in the country for professional reasons for less than 72 hours, as well as cross-border workers and health professionals who have come to Italy to work. The others, in addition to having to observe a quarantine, must not, during their rare authorized trips, use public transport.

If we do not yet know the duration of this measure, the Italian Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, wanted to be more optimistic for the next few weeks. “This summer, we will not stay on our balconies and the beauty of Italy will not remain in quarantine. We can go to the sea, to the mountains, to enjoy our cities, "he promised Sunday, without however mentioning the case of possible tourists from abroad.

Source: leparis

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