Government spokesman Gabriel Attal spoke on Wednesday noon from the Elysee Palace, at the exit of a council of ministers.
After taking stock of the fifth wave of the Covid-19 epidemic and the progression of the Omicron variant in France, he announced an upcoming tightening of travel restrictions outside Europe and in Europe, including for the 90% of French people vaccinated.
Travelers who have received their two (or three) doses of serum who return from a country outside the European Union will therefore have to present a PCR test of less than 48 hours upon entering the country.
Within the European Union, on the other hand, no change: no PCR test required on return for holders of proof of vaccination.
Unvaccinated travelers, whether returning from Europe or from a country in the rest of the world, will in both cases have to take a 24-hour test (compared to 48 hours or 72 hours so far).
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New scarlet red color
Gabriel Attal also announced the resumption of air links with southern Africa, home of the spread of the new variant, from Saturday, but "with a drastic framework" and flights reserved for the French, nationals of the European Union, diplomats. and flight crews. “
French nationals stranded in the seven countries concerned will be able to return to France showing a negative test when leaving, with also a test on arrival as well as isolation between 7 and 10 days. We take no risk,
”he said. These flights had been suspended since November 26.
Finally, the three-color classification so far used by the government to distinguish the countries of the world according to the Covid risk is changing from Saturday.
A fourth color, scarlet red, will now make it possible to distinguish the countries where the epidemic is particularly active and the variants present.
In this case, it will include seven countries in southern Africa, Mauritius, Zambia, and Malawi.
Only Europeans will be able to access France from these ten countries.
They will all be tested on arrival.
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