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The Telegraph
Testing at the French border is good news for truck drivers, but not for tourists
Travel between the UK and France resumed this morning, after the French government agreed to lift its total travel ban. Rail, air and sea services have been restarted, after they were halted on Sunday due to fears of the emergence of a new variant of the coronavirus, which has spread rapidly across south-east England. However, while the easing of restrictions is good news for carriers and supermarkets, for British tourists and citizens hoping to visit family members in France this Christmas, any hope that they will be able to travel has faded. Only French citizens, nationals of the European Area and British or third country citizens living in France will be allowed to enter. These measures are expected to last until at least January 6. UK travelers must now provide evidence of a negative Covid test (taken no more than 72 hours prior). In particular, the results of rapid “lateral flow” tests can be displayed in addition to the more accurate, but slower to perform, laboratory-tested PCR tests that many countries exclusively accept. France was originally unwilling to accept rapid tests, which provide results in about 30 minutes, but relented due to truck chaos in Kent. The mobile units, overseen by Army logistics experts, will now administer the tests to at least 6,000 stranded freight drivers in the UK. The news has been well received by Number 10, although the backlog of trucks is expected to take time to clear. What the protocol will be for French drivers who test positive for the virus has yet to be announced. Arrivals by sea and by air must also complete an ‘affidavit’ (déclaration sur l’honneur), self-certifying that they do not suffer from symptoms associated with the coronavirus and have not been in contact with confirmed cases in the previous fortnight. It has been feared that the decision to reopen the border may have come too late for some French nationals living in the UK to secure tests in time to get home at Christmas, and that some routes will be available to them after a series of flights and train cancellations. Almost 60 countries have announced bans on arrivals to the UK, citing fears about the new variant. However, the Netherlands and Belgium have relaxed their rules and are allowing entry under certain conditions. Gloria Guevara, director of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), has condemned the avalanche of restrictions, saying: “While protecting public health is paramount, blanket travel bans cannot be the answer. They have not worked in the past and they will not work now. ” Instead, Guevara has called for a “comprehensive and rapid response testing regimen” to reduce the spread of the virus and limit the devastating economic damage. “
