Border Restrictions: France To Ban Travellers Outside The EU

French republic, France has imposed a border restriction which exempts countries within the European Union alone, in order to curb the spread of the new variants of the virus.

On Friday, January 29, Welwyn Hatfield MP and Secretary of State for Transport, Rt. Hon. Grant Shapps, made a post on Twitter concerning the travel ban:
“French PM Jean Castex has announced that France is to close its borders to all countries outside the EU from Sunday. However, I can confirm that this does NOT apply to hauliers, so trade will continue to flow smoothly”. See tweet link below:

https://mobile.twitter.com/grantshapps/status/1355253945980096512

The new border restrictions will affect the UK as they are no longer part of the EU.

French Prime Minister Jean Castex made the announcement on Friday, saying that the travel ban will come into force from Sunday to try to limit the spread of new variant cases of coronavirus from abroad.

All travellers outside the EU have been banned, while the requirements for testing have been increased for those within the EU. However, there’s an exemption for essential travels.

Prime Minister Castex also said that big shopping centres, excluding food markets, would be closed from Sunday and the current 6pm curfew will have more force.

‘More police and gendarmes will be mobilised to check non-compliance with the curfew, the organisation of clandestine parties and the illegal opening of restaurants,’ Castex said.

Also, he said only essential travel would be allowed to and from non-EU countries and all arrivals in France from inside the bloc except cross-border workers would be required to show a negative PCR test.

The requirement was previously imposed for air and sea travellers but would now also apply to those travelling by land too.

France has reported among the world’s highest virus death tolls, at 75,620, and more than 60 percent of its intensive care beds are occupied by virus patients.

Africa, America, Asia, Antartica and some Europeans countries are banned from entering France. However, there are some countries from these continents that the France ban does not cover- South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, Thailand and Australia.

In addition, arrivals from the EU, and several other neighbouring states – Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, di Vatican and Switzerland – still need to present a negative COVID-19 test result at the borders before being let into the country.

All arrivals, by air and sea and land too, must comply with the rules as presented by the authorities.

Source: BBC and Dailymail, UK.