Emmanuel Macron says he is discussing ways to open France to vaccinated ‘American and European’ travellers this summer
- The French President said his government was working on a certificate for travel
- His government is preparing entry restrictions on travellers from four countries
- Argentina, Chile, South Africa and Brazil face the rules to keep out virus variants
- His foreign minister said Saturday the number of countries on the list could grow
Emmanuel Macron has said he foresees at least some tourists returning to Paris this summer if they have been vaccinated or have proof of a negative Covid test.
The French President said his government was working on a certificate for travel between European countries.
He told CBS News: ‘We are building a certificate to facilitate travel after these restrictions between the different European countries with testing and vaccination.’
Macron spoke as the government prepares to impose tough entry restrictions on travellers from four countries.
Argentina, Chile, South Africa and Brazil face new rules in hopes of keeping out especially contagious virus variants.
The French President said his government was working on a certificate for travel between European countries
The number of countries on the list could grow, France’s foreign minister said Saturday.
The restrictions include mandatory 10-day quarantines with police checks to ensure people arriving in France observe the requirement.
Travellers from all four countries will be restricted to French nationals and their families, EU citizens and others with a permanent home in France.
France previously suspended all flights from Brazil. The suspension will be lifted next Saturday, after 10 days, and the new restrictions ‘progressively’ put in place by then.
He told CBS News: ‘We are building a certificate to facilitate travel after these restrictions between the different European countries with testing and vaccination.’ Pictured: Paris in February
Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the Brazil suspension will be lifted followed by ‘drastic measures’ for entering France from all four countries, plus Guiana.
Macron, summarising the French approach, said ‘the plan is always to control the virus, to maximise the vaccination and to progressively lift the restrictions.’
France has been among the hardest hit European countries and is guarding against highly contageous variants, notably deciding to target four countries.
The four countries ‘are the most dangerous in terms of the number of variants that exist and in the evolution of the pandemic in these countries,’ Le Drian said.
But the list of countries subject to tougher border checks could be extended, he added.
Under the new restrictions, travellers must provide an address for where they plan to self-isolate for 10 days and police will visit and fine those who are found in violation.
France is also requiring more stringent testing for Covid.
Travellers must show proof of a negative PCR test taken less than 36 hours instead of 72 hours before they boarded a flight, or a negative antigen test less than 24 hours
Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian (pictured) said the Brazil suspension will be lifted followed by ‘drastic measures’ for entering France from all four countries, plus Guiana
France has reported the deaths of 100,00 people in the Covid-19 pandemic.
A variant first identified in Britain spread to Europe and is responsible for about 80 per cent of the virus cases in France.
The variants first seen in Brazil and South Africa make up less than 4 per cent of French infections, Health Minister Olivier Veran said last week.
MailOnline has contacted the Foreign Office and the Department for Transport asking if Mr Macron’s comments will include Britain.
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