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HEALTH

France closes non-EU borders and tightens curfew in last chance to avoid third lockdown

A last-minute meeting of France's Defence Council has ended with no return to lockdown, although extra restrictions were put in place.

Published: 29 January 2021 17:42 CET
Updated: 29 January 2021 20:46 CET
France closes non-EU borders and tightens curfew in last chance to avoid third lockdown
French Prime Minister Jean Castex. Photo: AFP

The French government had been debating all week whether to impose another lockdown, as Covid cases continue to rise across the country and fears grow about new and more contagious variants of the virus.

But after a Friday evening meeting of the Defence Council, which makes the final decision on health restrictions in France, Prime Minister Jean Castex announced no lockdown – for now.

However other restrictions were put in place including a tightening of the travel ban and the closure of large shopping centres.

France is currently on a nighttime curfew, but on Thursday the health minister warned that it was likely not enough to curb the spread, aggravated by the new variants first discovered in the UK and South Africa.

The extra restrictions announced by the PM are;

  • A ban on all travel in and out of France from outside the EU, with an exception only for vital travel from midnight Sunday (0:00am).
  • All arrivals into France from within the EU must present a negative Covid test (previously this rule had only applied to arrivals by air and sea). Cross-border workers are exempt from this requirement 
  • From Sunday, all non-food shopping centres larger than 20,000 square metres will close
  • The protocol on home-working will be reinforced so that everyone who can work from home does so
  • Police will step up checks on compliance with curfew and crack down on illegal parties and restaurant-opening.

The current rules including the 6pm curfew will remain in place.

He added: “The question of another lockdown is legitimately raised in view of the latest data.

“We want to do everything we can to avoid another lockdown. The coming days will be decisive. Let's be very vigilant.”

Travel into France from outside the EU – including the UK – was already heavily restricted.
 
Existing travel requirements for arrivals from the UK such as PCR tests and travel forms will remain in place.

 

 

Member comments

  1. Ikea Bordeaux is 30,000m2. Is it a “shopping centre” or just a “shop.” This is serious. So many trips might be averted.

  2. 29 January 202120:46 CET+01:00 your update states : A ban on all travel in and out of France from outside the EU, with an exception only for vital travel from midnight Sunday (0:00am).
    So as UK Citizens can we not leave France after Sunday night?

  3. https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/27/us/covid-case-drop-variants-vaccines-normal/index.html

    On a good note, fingers crossed…. case and hospital numbers in the US are on a good downswing, for now. We know that for every positive case, there are 4-5 added. My brother in law tested positive, and 3 other family members got sick, but did not test, for example. Some simple math tells us that well over 100 million have had it. Add the vaccination program, some focused management, and a more coordinated federal response plan, and you can begin to see some light at the end of this POS pandemic! Private top medical sources have commented on this being the beginning of herd immunity, again, fingers crossed… Last thing Europe needs, and I still include the UK, is to shun the vax, IMHO. Polls have shown only 4 of 10 French want the vax, a little higher in Germany, if I read correctly… Retired surgeon and German/French expat here… Take care!!

  4. What are they afraid of? A full lockdown should be imposed show some backbone being a MP isn’t about having one’s ego massaged but making hard decisions that aren’t popular. Of course the real reason for not implementing a full lockdown is the school holidays are about to start so all departments will be full of holidaymakers spreading the virus around yet again.

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HEALTH

The different ways you can make a doctor’s appointment in France

Booking a medical appointment in France can be time-consuming – especially if you are new to the country and are looking for an English-speaking doctor.

Published: 13 May 2024 16:52 CEST
The different ways you can make a doctor's appointment in France

You do not need a carte vitale to book a doctor’s appointment in France – anyone who needs medical help while in the country is entitled to it, but you may not be entitled to any reimbursement if you are not part of the social security system.

Booking a GP’s appointment can be as simple as phoning up your friendly neighbourhood GP, or using an online service such as Doctolib. 

It helps a lot, if you have a médecin traitant – an attending GP, who adds you (and your family, if they can) to their list of patients. 

READ ALSO Explained: How to register with a doctor in France

It is not always easy to find one. Some parts of the country are short of GPs, which means doctors’ lists can fill up very quickly. But it is important that anyone who lives in France is registered with a named GP, especially if they have a carte vitale.

As well as being the main point of contact between patients and the medical profession in all its guises, it is financially responsible to be registered with a GP in France.

Reimbursement on consultations is typically 70 percent through the French healthcare system, but just 30 percent for anyone without a declared doctor. Meanwhile, top-up mutuelle health insurance companies usually require you to declare a médecin traitant and if you don’t, you may not be able to receive reimbursements on certain treatments.

Bear in mind, it is your responsibility to register with a local médecin traitant. But, even after you have done so, you can still make an appointment with any doctor, anywhere in France, and arrange specialist treatment, if you need it. 

READ ALSO 5 things to know about visiting a doctor in France

How do you go about making a GP appointment in France?

There are several options.

Some health centres – more often in larger towns and cities – operate a walk-in policy. But expect waits to be lengthy. Do not, however, assume that your GP operates a system like this.

You can phone for an appointment. This is another very common method. Your GP will have their own system for making appointments – which may even include something that looks, to the uninitiated, very much like a casual walk-in policy. 

Some may have an assistant to deal with booking appointments and other administration. Others may deal with appointments themselves, and may – for example – operate some sort of triage system based on voice messages from patients. 

What about online booking systems?

And many practitioners are now attached to websites, such as Doctolib. As of 2023, about half of all GP appointments in France were made using Doctolib.

READ ALSO How to use: French medical website Doctolib

Be aware that other online booking systems are available. Doctolib is one of the best known, but your GP may be attached to another system, like the health ministry approved site ‘LeMedecin.Fr’.

This website also has a feature where you can take an immediate online consultation with whatever doctor is available at that moment. By clicking ‘Consultez en vidéo maintenant’ you will be connected to the next doctor who is free. This option may involve an additional charge between €5-10 on top of the price of the consultation, and you will be expected to pay when booking.

If you have any trouble with either of these websites, you can go through the list of registered generalists per département on the ‘Ameli’ website. If you use this option, you will need to call the doctor to see if they are open or available for appointments.

In terms of wait times, online systems have helped to significantly reduce the delay between booking and getting an appointment.

According to a 2023 study by Doctolib, about half of all GP appointments were available within three days from the time of booking on their platform.

Similarly, you can use online platforms to check the medical professional’s qualifications and languages spoken, as well as filter based on the doctor’s English abilities. However, this should be taken with a grain of salt because not every medical professional with English listed on their Doctolib page speaks fluent English. 

An increasing number of doctorsoffer video consultations, known as télémédecine in France. This allows professionals – particularly those in more rural areas – to diagnose less serious conditions remotely. This type of consultation is usually only available from those medical practices that are attached to online booking systems. 

Some pharmacies have also begun offering walk-in télémedicine consults, using ‘Medadom’ machines. More information here.

What about specialists?

In France, you book your own consultations with specialists, even if you are referred by a doctor (your GP may offer a recommendation, but won’t always). The good news is that many specialists do use online booking services. Those that do not usually have assistants to take care of the appointments.

READ ALSO: Urgent care: How to get non-emergency medical treatment in France

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