After suspending flights from southern Africa, France decided to restore them on Saturday. These trips with ten countries will be made with “drastic supervision” specifies government spokesman Gabriel Attal. Only the French, EU nationals, diplomats and seafarers will be able to travel.
These travelers will also undergo a Covid test on their arrival in France, followed by isolation for seven days in the event of a negative result and ten days if the result is positive. In addition, all travelers from a country outside the EU, even vaccinated, must show a negative test within 48 hours. In both cases, the isolation “will be monitored by internal security forces and in the event of non-compliance with the isolation, a fine of 1,000 to 1,500 euros” will be imposed, added the spokesperson.
Test less than 24 hours for non-vaccinated
These measures concern the seven countries with which flights were suspended since Friday (South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia and Eswatini), to which have been added Malawi, Zambia and Mauritius. The government will include these ten countries in a new “scarlet red” category created for “countries at risk”, for which “there will be no movement or authorized access for professional, tourist, family, studies and even research ”.
In addition, the government imposes for all travelers coming from a country outside the EU a negative test of less than 48 hours, “whether these travelers are vaccinated or not”. For travelers from EU countries, France will impose a 24-hour test for non-vaccinated people.
“The question of an obligation of negative tests for travelers (vaccinated) from EU countries arises,” said Gabriel Attal, specifying that the government is seeking “European coordination” on this subject and that a “Decision will be made by the end of the week.”