A women wearing a face mask walks by the Eiffel Tower in Paris | Philippe Lopez/AFP via Getty Images
People coming from EU countries with quarantine measures for incoming travelers will be asked to self-isolate.
France will introduce a two-week quarantine for travelers who don’t exhibit coronavirus symptoms starting on May 25, according to the French interior ministry.
The measures will apply to returning French citizens and permanent residents arriving from outside the European Union and the European Economic Area, which includes the U.K. and Switzerland. Travelers from within this area will not be asked to quarantine, unless they come from a country that has imposed quarantine measures on incoming travelers, such as Spain and the U.K.
The two-week self-isolation period will be voluntary. “Travelers are called upon to show good citizenship and a sense of responsibility in order to implement this health precaution,” the French interior ministry said in a statement issued late Friday.
For those arriving from within the EU, some restrictions have also been relaxed. Crossborder workers, international transporters and people traveling for family reasons — such as for child care reasons or to lend urgent assistance to a relative — will be allowed to access the territory. Seasonal workers and posted workers whose work cannot be postponed will also be allowed into the country, according to the ministry.
France will progressively reopen border points and wind down “static controls” to facilitate the fluidity of traffic while ensuring the implementation of the restrictions remaining in place until June 15, the ministry said. It is also working on reciprocal travel permits with neighboring countries.
Rym Momtaz contributed reporting.
