France to Place New Restrictions on U.K. Travelers From May 31

(Bloomberg) -- France unveiled extra restrictions for passengers coming from the U.K., applicable from May 31, to fend off the coronavirus variant first identified in India.

The move will curtail entry of those who aren’t either French citizens or residents, requiring that they show an overwhelming reason why they need to travel to the country, the government spokesman’s office said in a statement. All passengers arriving from the U.K. will also be required to show a negative Covid test administered no more than 48 hours prior to departure and will have to self-quarantine for seven days after arrival.

At the moment, people from the U.K. arriving in France don’t need to justify the reason for their trip, but they already must show a negative Covid test and commit to self-isolate for a week, even if they’ve been vaccinated.

The restrictions could have been tougher. The French government said it wouldn’t subject travelers to home checks to make sure they are isolating, given the low rate of Covid in the U.K.

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