PARIS: Paris will announce an easing of restrictions for travel from Britain to France in the coming days, the government said Wednesday, after sharply tightening rules in December over the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19.
"I confirm that a further easing of the restrictions with the UK will be announced in the coming days," Gabriel Attal told reporters after a weekly cabinet meeting.
"Work is continuing, I hope that the announcement can be made by the end of the week," he added.
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Since 18 December, travellers arriving in France from across the Channel have been required to prove a compelling reason to enter the country, largely restricting entry to French or EU citizens or residents.
That was eased slightly last week to allow people in "for the pursuit of an economic activity requiring an on-site presence which cannot be postponed".
"At the time I said that if we continued to see the same situation, that is the Omicron variant becoming dominant in France, of course we would continue to ease the restrictions," Attal said.
Under the rules, travellers coming from the UK also have to quarantine at home for seven days although this can be shortened to 48 hours after a negative test.
The tight travel restrictions were also imposed during what analysts see as a breakdown of trust between the British and French governments in the wake of Brexit over a host of issues from migrants to fishing.
They were also a blow to the French tourism industry over the Christmas period, in particular Alpine ski resorts reliant on UK tourists.
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