France to Lift Travel Ban on Southern Africa Next Saturday

Authorities announced, on Wednesday, that France is going to lift the travel ban on Southern African Countries starting from next Saturday.

France said it will start allowing flights from southern Africa to land on its territory from Saturday, but with "drastic" restrictions allowing only French and EU residents to disembark, along with diplomats and flight crews

After a weekly meeting, government spokesman Gabriel Attal noted that these travellers must have a Covid test upon arrival, with a negative result still requiring a seven-day quarantine, as well as a positive test will require a 10-day quarantine.

On Friday, France suspended flights arriving from the southern African region for 48 hours with EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen proposing an air travel halt amid rising concern about the Omicron variant.

French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted that he received both COVID-19 vaccine booster shot and flu vaccine.

Macron published on his official Twitter account a green tick next to the phrases “vaccine booster” and “vaccine against the flu.”