France said on Friday it would close its borders to countries outside the European Union as business increases and the government struggles to avoid a new closure.
Jean Castex, the French prime minister, said all travel between France and non-EU countries would be banned from Sunday, with exceptions only for urgent matters. Mr. Castex added that all travelers from EU countries, with the exception of cross-border workers, must present a negative coronavirus test.
Speculation about new restrictions has escalated in France over the past week, with a flurry of conflicting and often confusing information from officials, and many expected President Emmanuel Macron to replace the current 6 to 6 o’clock clock with a new lock.
After a special cabinet meeting in Paris, Castex acknowledged that France has a “strong risk of accelerating the epidemic” due to the more contagious British and South African variants of the virus, and said debates over a new nationwide lock up “is legal”. ”
“But we all know the very heavy toll it has on the French, in every way,” he said. “Tonight we consider that, given the numbers over the past few days, we can still give ourselves the chance to avoid one.”
The variants that originated in Britain and South Africa were both detected in France, and the country’s vaccination campaign declined amid disruptions in the EU supply chain. The number of new cases has continued to increase in France over the past few weeks, with almost 23,000 new cases reported on Friday, although it did not skyrocket as for some of its French neighbors.
Britain, which has faced a record number of cases and deaths, tightened its travel restrictions on Wednesday, requiring British citizens from 22 high-risk countries to be quarantined in hotels for ten days at their own expense. England started its latest exclusion starting January.
The European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union, on Monday recommended restricting non-essential travel in an effort to prevent the closure of border departments, which could hamper trade and the movement of border workers.
“We need to stay safe and discourage non-essential travel,” said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. posted on Twitter, referring to the danger that new variants are in circulation.
Mr. Castex also announced that the largest malls that do not sell groceries will begin closing on Sunday, and that police surveillance of curfew violations and institutions such as restaurants that open illegally will be increased. Companies will be further encouraged to let their employees work from home, he said.
“Our goal is to do everything possible to prevent a new exclusion, and the next few days will be crucial,” he said. Castex said.