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French officials have announced that the British and those of the member states of the European Union will not be placed in mandatory 14-day quarantine if they travel to France, as suggested by the country’s health minister.
In what appeared to be a direct contradiction of Olivier Véran’s statement on Saturday, the French Embassy in London tweeted that the measure would not be imposed on those arriving in France from the United Kingdom or the Schengen area.
An Embassy spokesman said Sunday’s statement came from the Elysee Palace. The Elysium did not respond to the Guardian’s request for clarification.
At a press conference on Saturday, after a meeting of the French Council of Ministers, Véran announced: “This quarantine will be imposed on all who arrive on French territory.” He added that it would mainly affect the French and those who normally reside in France and return home from abroad.
The minister’s statement appeared to be based on a bill extending France’s “state of health emergency” until July 24, drafted after the ministers’ meeting. The bill will be presented to Senate, the upper house of parliament, on Monday and then to the lower house, the National Assembly.
Article two of the bill established that quarantine would be imposed on all those who arrive in French territory from “areas where the virus circulates”.
Véran said the details of the quarantine and isolation rules will be published in a “decree,” but it was not mentioned in either the minister’s announcement or the draft legislation that EU citizens and those of Schengen countries and the United Kingdom would be exempt.
“The 14 days [quarantine] It is for people who do not have symptoms: the isolation concerns those who tested positive for the coronavirus according to a medical evaluation, “Véran said.
Cases will be dealt with individually and those in quarantine or isolation, organized by the French authorities and possibly in designated hotels or medical centers, may appeal to a judge. Véran added that the decision to place someone in isolation would be reviewed by a judge who would declare whether it was justified and fair.
Unlike visitors, those already in France who test positive for coronaviruses will be expected not to be self-isolating. “We are confident in the spirit of responsibility of the French people,” Véran said.
There is no indication of when the new rules of the bill will go into effect, which will be reviewed by parliament on Monday and Tuesday.
It is understood that cross-border workers, international transport workers, carriers and those involved in urgent medical work, currently authorized to enter France if they carry an international certification, will not be subject to any restrictions.
State television reported that there were no plans to screen people arriving in France from areas affected by the virus, before quarantining them.
France’s borders have been closed to tourists or those with non-essential reasons to enter the country since April 8.
Saturday’s announcement gave no indication of when the reopening of hotels, restaurants and cafes would be allowed, disappointing the French tourism sector, already hit by cancellations and uncertainty. France is the number one tourist destination in the world, with more than 89 million visitors a year.
Officials in popular vacation areas warned that the situation was catastrophic and said many would find it difficult to recover.
Georges Mela, the mayor of Porto-Vechhio in Corsica, which attracts 3 million tourists annually, called on the government to introduce a “health passport” system for those who can prove they tested negative for the virus in the seven days before. to arrive. in France. The Italian government is considering a similar scheme, he said.
“The collapse of the tourism industry would be a catastrophe for all of Corsica, a recovery that would take years,” Mela said in a statement. Christian Estrosi, the mayor of Nice, has made a similar request.
Christophe Castaner, the French interior minister, has already said that France’s borders would remain closed “for the foreseeable future” even after the country’s strict closure ends. People have been told to avoid travel more than 100 km (62 miles) after May 11.
“It has to be said that this holiday season will not be like the others,” Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, secretary of state for tourism, told the national assembly last week, urging citizens to think “ultra local” when planning breaks this year.
On Saturday, Castaner also announced the extension of the fines for those who do not respect the rules of physical separation in public places when the closure ends. “The challenge in the coming months will be learning to live with the virus,” he said.
There have been almost 131,000 official confirmed cases of coronavirus in France and an estimated 24,760 deaths.
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