COVID-19: France to impose 14-day quarantine on people travelling from UK

France would reciprocate UK’s decision to impose a 14-day quarantine on all arrivals, country’s junior minister for European affairs said on August 24. His announcement comes as coronavirus cases have resurged in the French territory with officials recording over 242,899 cases and 30,000 deaths till now.

The UK, on the other hand, announced that all people travelling from the UK to France were required to self-certify that they were not suffering from coronavirus symptoms or have been in contact with patients withing 14 days preceding travel. Starting August 15, UK also required travellers returning from France to self isolate upon their return due to high COVID-19 rate infection rates in France.

'Do not close the border'  

Stating a need to replicate the measure,  Clement Beaune, junior European affairs minister said that France would have an issue of reciprocity so that their “British” friends do not close the border in one single way.  “For travellers returning from the United Kingdom, there will probably be restrictive measures decided in the next few days by the Prime Minister and by the Defence Council,” said the minister on state TV.

Read: France Sticks To School Openings Despite Jump In Infections

Read: France's Health Minister Says COVID-19 Infecting People Under 40 Four Times More

In recent weeks, France has registered a high number of new cases that hit an all-time post lockdown high. "Transmission of the virus is accentuating among all age groups, especially young adults"—AP quoted France’s Health authorities as saying. However, France's president insisted that the country will send millions of students back to school starting September 1, despite the biggest weekly spike in confirmed coronavirus cases since the height of its national outbreak in March and April. President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel also pledged during a joint news conference that European countries would work more closely in the coming weeks to coordinate virus protection measures and vaccine supplies.

Read: France's Health Minister Says COVID-19 Infecting People Under 40 Four Times More

Read: Masks In All Workplaces Now Mandatory In France