Travelers boarding in China bound for France will have to present a negative Covid-19 screening test at the start of their flight, the French government announced on Friday evening.
Faced with the explosion of cases of coronavirus infections in China, France thus joins Italy and Spain among the European countries imposing restrictions. Travelers must bring proof of a negative test less than 48 hours before boarding.
Other tests will be carried out on arrival on a random basis, with positive samples being sequenced to detect possible new variants of the virus, local media report, citing a government source.
France had recommended at the beginning of the week to travelers who plan to go to China, especially to fragile and immunocompromised people, to consider postponing their trip, in the absence of an essential reason.
The government had also recommended that travelers who cannot postpone their trip have a complete and up-to-date vaccination schedule and respect barrier gestures.
Three years following the appearance of the first cases of coronavirus in Wuhan (center), China put an end to its draconian policy known as “zero Covid” on December 7. Since the lifting of restrictions, Chinese hospitals have been overwhelmed by a surge of patients.
Despite the epidemic rebound, the authorities will end the mandatory quarantines on arrival in China on January 8.
With MAP
