Travel restrictions will tighten.
From Saturday, travelers from Brazil, Argentina, Chile and South Africa, but also Guyana, will have to respect a mandatory quarantine on their arrival in the metropolitan territory, confirmed on Tuesday the secretary of State for European Affairs Clément Beaune.
Read also: Covid-19: quarantine for travelers from Brazil, Argentina, Chile and South Africa
“
Reinforced and systematic
”
tests
will also be implemented in French airports. Why then wait for Saturday? "
A legal mechanism has yet to be determined,
" said Clément Beaune. The contours of this passenger screening system are nevertheless increasingly precise. The quarantine, first of all, must last 10 days, and takes place at home. Travelers who do not comply with these measures can be fined 1,500 euros, in accordance with the announcements of government spokesman Gabriel Attal.
In addition, the test system before boarding is also reinforced: a negative PCR test of less than 36 hours (instead of 72 hours), or a negative PCR of less than 72 hours accompanied by a negative antigen test of less than 24 hours are now needed.
The performance of an antigen test is also made systematic on arrival in France, before leaving the airport.
A list of countries that could evolve
Secretary of State Clément Beaune does not exclude the list of countries concerned by this quarantine and these reinforced controls being extended according to epidemic developments.
Some countries are indeed seeing their situation deteriorate at high speed, like India, where there are more than 200,000 positive coronavirus cases every day.
To read also: "Sofagate": Clément Beaune sees in it a "trap" and an "affront" from Turkey
"
We want European coordination
" on these subjects, Clément Beaune insisted, with "
common criteria
" to place certain countries under this new regime of travel restrictions.
Recall that air links with Brazil are suspended until Friday inclusive, but are maintained with Argentina, Chile and South Africa where, according to Paris, the presence of variants does
not
reach "
the levels observed. in Brazil
”. However, it is still possible for travelers from countries like Brazil to get to France via a flight with a stopover. European coordination would make it possible, according to the Secretary of State, to reduce the number of these bypassed access routes.