Washington – France is planning to lift restrictions on Americans traveling to the country that received their COVID-19 vaccines, French President Emmanuel Macron said as the country struggled with another increase in coronavirus cases .
“We will gradually lift the restrictions from the beginning of May, which means that in the summer we will organize with our professionals in France for French European citizens, but also for American citizens,” Macron said in an interview with “Face the” said. Nation “that was broadcast on Sunday.” So we are working hard to propose a very concrete solution, especially for American citizens who are being vaccinated, so with a special pass, I would say. “
France is currently in its third national exclusion as it fights another wave of coronavirus infections, with schools closed until the end of April, travel restricted and events banned. In a televised national speech late last month, Macron attributed the latest increase to new coronavirus variants, which are more contagious and have created “an epidemic within an epidemic.”
France’s death toll from the coronavirus exceeded 100,000, and according to Johns Hopkins University, there were more than 5.3 million confirmed cases.
Macron said on Sunday that France’s ministers were “finalizing the technical discussions” on easing the restrictions, and that officials were drafting a certificate to make the journey between European countries possible through testing and vaccinations.
“The idea is indeed entirely to present it to the American citizen when they decide to vaccinate or have a negative PCR test,” he said. “The idea, therefore, is to always control the virus, maximize vaccination and gradually lift the restrictions.”
The most recent increase in coronavirus cases in France is due to vaccination in the country. But Macron said Europe was catching up, with production accelerating, enabling France to achieve its vaccine targets. Some members of the European Union are still considering securing their own stock of Russian Sputnik vaccine, which has not yet been approved by the European Medicines Agency.
Asked if he would buy Russia’s vaccine, Macron noted that European health authorities had not yet allowed it, so the vaccine could not be used on French soil.
“At this stage, the Russian vaccine is not recognized by our authorities,” he said. “So I do not think that the Russian vaccine today is a solution to an acceleration, because it will take time to authorize the European Agency and it will take time to produce such a vaccine on our continent.”
In addition to vaccinating French citizens, Macron said it was “not enough to just focus on rich countries.”
“I think we need to send a maximum dose of vaccine between now and June, which is a small part of what we get for ourselves, to vaccinate the workers of the health care system in Africa,” he said. “It’s very limited, but these guys are working hard to preserve the health care system, and that’s something we can do. And the same in Latin America. After the summer, we will accelerate these deliveries. We will accelerate this solidarity. And on top of that. “What we have to offer is also financing for these economies.”