France said on Friday that it will close its borders with countries outside the European Union as cases increase and the government struggles to avoid a further blockade.
Jean Castex, the French prime minister, said that all travel between France and countries outside the EU would be banned from Sunday, with exceptions made only for urgent matters. All travelers from EU countries, except for cross-border workers, will have to present a negative coronavirus test to enter the country, added Castex.
Speculation about new restrictions was growing in France last week, with a barrage of conflicting and often confusing information from officials, and many expected President Emmanuel Macron to replace the current 6:00 pm to 6:00 am curfew with a new blockade.
Speaking after a special cabinet meeting in Paris, Castex acknowledged that France faces a “strong risk of accelerating the epidemic” due to the most contagious variants of the virus in Britain and South Africa, and said that debates over a new national blockade are “legitimate.”
“But we all know the great impact this has on the French, in all aspects,” he said of a blockade. “Tonight, we consider that, given the figures for the past few days, we can still give ourselves a chance to avoid it.”
Variants that have emerged in Britain and South Africa have been detected in France, and the country’s vaccination campaign has slowed amid disruptions in the EU supply chain. The number of new cases has continued to rise in France in recent weeks, with almost 23,000 new cases registered on Friday, although they have not skyrocketed as did some of France’s neighbors.
Britain, which faced a record number of cases and deaths, tightened its travel restrictions on Wednesday, demanding that British citizens arriving from 22 high-risk countries be quarantined in hotels for 10 days at their own expense. . England entered its last block in early January.
The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, on Monday recommended restricting non-essential travel in an attempt to prevent general border closures, which could hinder trade and movement of cross-border workers.
“We need to protect ourselves and discourage non-essential travel,” Ursula von der Leyen, chairman of the commission, wrote on Twitter, citing the danger of the circulation of new variants.
Castex also announced the closure of the country’s largest shopping malls that do not sell groceries, starting on Sunday, and tightened police controls over curfew violations and establishments like restaurants that open illegally. Companies will be even more encouraged to have their employees working from home, he said.
“Our goal is to do everything to avoid a new block and the next few days will be decisive,” said Castex.