It's a drag that is about to be released for travelers.
Requested by tourism professionals and airlines, antigenic tests - which is also carried out by sampling with swabs in the nostrils - will become general in France, as the Minister of Health announced on October 15. , Olivier Véran.
No more fear of not receiving the results of a PCR test before boarding: with antigen tests, travelers know if they are positive or negative for Covid-19 in less than 30 minutes.
What to facilitate, a priori, the resumption of air traffic and travel in general.
Read also: Coronavirus and tourism: why "the antigen test would facilitate many things"
Where and from when to get tested?
In France, antigenic tests have already been tested at Marseille-Provence airport since October 22.
They will be deployed from October 26 at Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Paris-Orly and Nice, before being extended to other French platforms.
Note that Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport (terminals 2E and 2AC) already has a screening center where PCR tests are carried out.
Travelers can also perform an antigen test in town in certain medical analysis laboratories, but also in pharmacies or with a doctor or nurse.
Since this process has been authorized for a short time, some health professionals may not yet have the necessary equipment.
The list of screening centers is available on the website of the Ministry of Health.
In Italy, antigenic tests have already been carried out on a large scale since this summer.
They are available at six airports: Catania, Milan (Linate and Malpensa), Palermo and Rome (Ciampino and Fiumicino).
Travelers can get tested for free on arrival if they have not completed a PCR before departure.
Elsewhere in Europe, only the airports of Frankfurt, in Germany, and London-Heathrow, in the United Kingdom, have installed a screening platform using antigen tests.
In London, they are carried out only on passengers departing to Hong Kong with British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Virgin Atlantic.
Read also: Where can the French travel?
Our map, country by country
How much does it cost ?
Nothing: antigenic tests are fully reimbursed by Health Insurance, for all patients, without conditions and wherever the test is carried out, as indicated in the order published in the Official Journal on October 17, 2020.
Who are these tests for?
At the beginning.
This same decree specifies that the antigenic tests are intended only for
"asymptomatic persons excluding contact persons or persons detected within a cluster"
.
Symptomatic people under 65 can also benefit from it if several conditions are met: if the test takes place less than four days after the onset of the first symptoms;
if the waiting time to obtain a PCR test is greater than 48 hours;
if the people tested do not have a risk profile for developing a severe form of Covid-19.
The details of the destinations for which the test will be implemented is however not yet known.
"
We are going to launch them [...] in particular on departure to destinations such as the
United States
or Italy,
" Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, Minister Delegate for Transport, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari said on October 16 on Cnews.
At the arrival.
Travelers returning from a risk area may be subjected to an antigen test upon their return to France, regardless of their nationality.
Screening can take place "
on arrival in red countries, so that we no longer have people returning from red countries to French territory without being tested,
" continued Jean-Baptiste Djebbari.
On the last map updated Thursday by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), almost all countries in the European Union are listed in red.
Only a few regions of Norway, Finland and Greece are in green, while the Baltic States and almost all of Germany and Sweden are in orange.
Two criteria are taken into account to establish this map: the rate of new cases per 100,000 inhabitants during the last 14 days and the rate of positive tests (higher or lower than 4%).
Is the antigen test recognized abroad?
In most European countries, only RT-PCR virological tests are recognized by the authorities.
At present, only Italy seems to recognize antigenic tests carried out abroad.
Before departure, it is important to check the conditions of entry into force on the France Diplomatie website or with the embassies.
As antigen tests are increasingly used, it can be expected that they will be recognized by some countries in the short term.
Read also: Coronavirus and holidays, the precautions to be taken
What if I test positive before departure?
Travelers can undergo a free antigen test upon arrival at select Italian airports (here, Rome Fiumicino on August 16).
Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP
If you are positive for the antigen test performed at the airport, your airline may deny you boarding.
Likewise, in the event of an inspection in the country of destination, a quarantine may be imposed on you.
As a precaution, it is preferable to perform a PCR test within 72 hours of departure.
The delays in obtaining results have been reduced since the start of the school year.
Last week, half of the PCR tests gave their results in less than 24 hours, according to the Directorate of Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics (Dress).
Read also: Greece, Sweden, Portugal ... These countries accept French tourists without PCR test
Are stations and ports affected?
For the moment, no station in France or in Europe has a screening center.
When traveling by train through Europe, passengers are unlikely to be subject to a health check on departure or arrival.
Regarding transport by boat, some cruise lines (such as MSC Cruises, Costa Cruises and Ponant) require the antigen test when boarding, in addition to the PCR test to be carried out 72 hours before departure.
VIDEO -
Antigenic tests: "We are fully mobilized on this path", according to Olivier Véran
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