Paris: France warned its citizens on Thursday against traveling to Spain or Portugal on holidays due to a surge in Covid-19 cases caused by a very contagious Delta variant.
France currently allows people to travel to all other UE members as long as they are fully vaccinated or present a PCR test or negative antigen on their return.
But European Minister Clement Beaune clearly suggested France against crossing the Pyrenees to Spain or Portugal.
“For those who have not booked their holidays, avoiding Spain and Portugal as a goal,” he told France 2 television.
“It’s better to stay in France or go to another country.” Beaune added that France, who was afraid of being beaten by the fourth wave of Koronavirus infection this summer, weighing restrictions on travel in Europe for the spread of very contagious delta mutations.
“We must be careful …
the pandemic doesn’t end,” he said.
“We will decide in the coming days, but we can place strengthened steps.” Germany already has a ban on tourists who entered Portugal, where the Delta variant became dominant.
Only residents or residents were permitted from Portugal, and they must be quarantined for two weeks on arrival.
Beaune said France “followed the situation in countries where flare-ups (in infection) were very fast,” choosing the Spanish Catalonia region, where Barcelona is located and “where many French people go to parties and holidays.” The Catalonia region this week this week Removing the sidewalk on nightlife to try to tame a surge in infection, especially among young people who are not vaccinated.
The nightclub will be closed from the end of this week and a negative Covid-19 test or evidence of vaccination will be needed to take part in outdoor activities involving more than 500 people.
Last week, almost half of the Portuguese population was again placed under hours of night after the number of new cases of everyday reached 2,000 for the first time since mid-February.