France bans unnecessary travel with England due to the rise of Omigron

French government on Thursday banned non-essential trips to Britain and Britain and tightened check requirements Record Invasion of Omigron Cases Across the English Channel there was concern that France would soon face a tsunami of similar new epidemics.

In a statement, French Prime Minister Jean Costex said the government had decided to take action “because of the rapid spread of the Omigron variant in the United Kingdom.” He urged people planning to travel to Britain to postpone their trips.

British authorities on Wednesday registered 78,610 new corona virus cases, The highest number of infections known in a single day since the onset of the infection. The UK’s chief medical officer has warned that more records will be broken in the coming days Cases of the Omicron variant double less than every two days In some parts of the country.

Mr. Costex said that from Saturday, passengers will only be allowed to travel to or from the UK for “urgent” reasons, such as family medical emergencies or legal summonses, regardless of their vaccination status. New restrictions restrict French and British tourists During the exciting holidays.

He said non-essential business travel was also banned under the new restrictions, but the new rules would not apply to French nationals living in the UK who wish to return to France.

Those who travel from the UK to France will face stricter testing requirements even if they are vaccinated. All travelers must submit a negative virus test taken within 48 to 24 hours of departure. (There is already a 24-hour rule for non-vaccinated travelers.)

All travelers from the UK must register online and be isolated for up to 10 days. However, a test can be taken up to 48 hours after they arrive, and if it turns out to be negative, they may end the isolation period.

France already a Rise in cases The reason for the delta variation is that after nearly two years of fighting the virus it is depressing the low staff and inconvenient hospital system. About 3,000 Govt-19 patients are in intensive care, the highest level since June, and officials expect that number to rise to 4,000 by the end of this year.

Gabriel Attal, Spokesman for the French Government. Told the BFMTV news channel On Thursday, the goal of the new travel restrictions was to “minimize and minimize the arrival of the Omigron variant on our soil as much as possible.”

Mr. Atal said 240 variants have already been found in France, but he added. The government is convening a special cabinet meeting on Friday on the virus and may announce more new measures in the coming days.

Recently France Nightclubs were closed for four weeks And tightened some restrictions on schools. But President Emmanuel Macron, widely expected to run for re-election in April, has rejected additional locks, curfew orders or closures, arguing that more awareness around social exclusion and a quick booster shot campaign would suffice. Rises in the test.

A TV interview Wednesday evening, Mr. Macron said additional Govt-19 booster shots will be needed in the future.