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HEALTH

LATEST: Which countries impose quarantine and compulsory Covid-19 tests on arrivals from France?

With France battling a second wave of Covid-19, a growing number of countries are warning against travel to the country and imposing quarantine arrivals. Here's a look at the latest situation anyone travelling abroad from France should be aware of.

Published: 16 September 2020 17:36 CEST
Updated: 1 October 2020 11:40 CEST
LATEST: Which countries impose quarantine and compulsory Covid-19 tests on arrivals from France?
Travellers from France do not have the green light for all countries. Photo: AFP

As France reports steadily increasing numbers of Covid-19 cases, several countries have taken action to impose quarantines on arrivals from the country or certain hard-hit regions.

The quarantine rules are based on the country you are travelling from, not your nationality, so anyone traveling from France will be subject to these rules, not just French people.

Here's a roundup of the restrictions in place

Germany

On August 24th Germany added two areas of France 'risk list'. These were the greater Paris region of Île-de-France and the Riviera region of Provence-Alpes-Côtes d'Azur.

Anyone arriving in Germany from these regions faces compulsory Covid-19 testing. Up until now affected travellers have had to be tested within 72 hours.

But from October 15th, affected travellers from risk zones coming to Germany will be ordered to go into a 14-day quarantine period. This can be ended with a negative coronavirus test. However, that test can only be carried out after the fifth day of returning to Germany at the earliest.

On September 9th the German government also added the regions of Occitanie, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes and Corsica to the list of high-risk areas, therefore requiring travellers quarantine until they receive a negative Covid-19 test.

The implementation of this and the rules around it lies with the individual German states. Please contact the health department of the state you are visiting or living in for detailed information.

Belgium

On September 16th Belgium introduced new travel warning for the two northern départemants of Nord and Pas-de-Calais, which were classed as “red zones”.

Brussels advised against travel to the two départements and said returning travellers would have to observe a period of quarantine and be tested for coronavirus.

Travellers must fill out this form.

The measure does not affect cross-border workers however.

This adds to a long list of départements classed red zones by Belgium.

They are: Paris, Ain, Alpes-Maritimes, Bouches-du-Rhône, Corse-du-Sud, Côte-d'Or, Essonne, Gard, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Gironde, Haute-Corse, Haute-Garonne, Hauts-de-Seine, Hérault, Loiret, Martinique, Réunion, Rhône, Seine-et-Marne, Seine-Saint-Denis, Val-d’Oise, Val-de-Marne, Vaucluse, Var, Yvelines.

And from Friday September 18th Brussels says the following départements will be classed as red and subject to quarantine and test measures: Aveyron, Gers, Ille-et-Vilaine, Indre-et-Loire, Isère, Loire, Maine-et-Loire, Nord, Pas-de-Calais, Puy-de-Dôme, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Pyrénées-Orientales, Sarthe, Seine-Maritime, Tarn-et-Garonne and Vienne.

More info in French here.

Switzerland

On September 11th  Swiss Health Minister Alain Berset announced that arrivals from French regions of Centre-Val de Loire, Hauts-de-France, Île de France, Normandy, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Occitanie, Pays de la Loire, and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur would be subjected to a 10-day period of quarantine.

The French island of Corsica was also added to the list.

“We have seen a number of new infections in France, which are today already higher that the numbers in March and April,” Berset said, stressing that “this is a situation to take seriously… We're trying to keep the pandemic under control.”

At the same time, he said, the government had sought a “pragmatic” approach and thus exempted the border regions in France and other neighbouring countries from the order, set to take effect from Monday.

“The idea is to preserve life along the borders where people live and work,” he said, pointing to heavy cross-border trade, as well as the many people who live on one side of the border but work on the other.

For more on Switzerland's quarantine rules for travellers from France click here.

Norway

Norway announced that anyone who arrives from France and Switzerland from Saturday, August 8th must observe a 10-day quarantine.

The country lifted its quarantine requirements for European arrivals on July 15th, but has since reimposed them for travellers from the vast majority of EEA and Schengen area countries (including France), as well as the UK.

Finland

Finland still has strict entry restrictions in place banning all non-essential travel. You can only travel to Finland from France if you can prove either residency in Finland, a family link or a professional reason for travel. Holidays and leisure trips are not allowed.

Ireland

Travellers arriving from France are required to observe a 14-day quarantine on arrival. This can be done in your home or the place where you are staying, but you should restrict movements and social contact as much as possible You will need to provide information on arrival concerning where you will quarantine and the Irish government says that “checks will be carried out to ensure compliance with this measure”.

Iceland

Iceland also has a 14-day quarantine in place for all arrivals from France who were born before 2005. However there is an option to be tested at the airport and, if the test is negative, you will then not have to quarantine

Denmark

Denmark's foreign ministry is currently advising against all non-essential travel to France.

This means that, although there is no quarantine, restrictions are in place for travellers arriving from France. People who live in countries to which Denmark advises against travel are required to provide a so-called “worthy” reason for entering Denmark. This can include work or family reasons but not tourism. Detailed guidance can be found in English on the Danish police website here.

Greece 

Greece also has border restrictions and screening at airports. Although there is no quarantine in place you will have to fill out a travel form 48 hours before your journey

UK

The UK imposed a 14-day quarantine on all arrivals from France from August 15th until further notice. You can find full details of how the quarantine rules work here.

READ ALSO Your questions answered about the UK and France quarantines

Italy

On September 21st Italy's minister of health Roberto Speranza said he had passed a decree meaning that travellers from 7 regions of France would have to be tested for Covid-19 on arrival in the country.

The seven regions covered by the new measure are: Île-de-France, which include the capital Paris, Auvergne-Rhône Alpes in central/eastern France, the island of Corsica, Hauts-de-France in the north, Nouvelle-Acquitaine and Occitanie in the west and south west and the French Riviera region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.

READ ALSO  What are the Covid-19 rules for travelling between France and Italy?

Netherlands

Passengers arriving from France's two 'red zones' – Paris and the Bouches-du-Rhône département which includes Marseilles – are being told to quarantine for 14 days when arriving in the Netherlands.

Malta

Arrivals from Paris and Marseille airports will have to be tested and quarantined unless they hcan produce a negative test result carried at least 72 hours before arrival.

It's also worth noting that many countries such as Australia and Canada enforce quarantine on all arrivals, so if you are travelling there from France you will have to self-isolate either at a specific location or in government organised accommodation.

 

Member comments

  1. Whilst I understand people wishing to ‘holiday’ in the Nordic Countries, why do folk want to leave this beautiful country anyway ? Been here 17 years and neither my wife nor I want to leave !

  2. Iceland has actually updated their rules. You’re tested at the airport, quarantine for 4-5 days, then a second test.

  3. ukdave, I don’t understand anyone wanted to holiday outside of their own country at the moment. It seems more hassle than it is worth, with ever changing rules, from one country to the next and the potential to be locked down somewhere due to an outbreak.

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HEALTH

How serious is the threat from dengue fever in France?

As tiger mosquitoes are now present in over 80 percent of mainland France, health authorities are worried that local transmission of tropical diseases, like dengue fever, will increase.

Published: 14 June 2024 15:15 CEST
How serious is the threat from dengue fever in France?

As of January 2024, tiger mosquitoes – known for their ability to carry diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus – had been detected in 78 of France’s 96 mainland départements, including the Paris region.

This has left public health authorities concerned about the spread of dengue fever in France, particularly this summer as large crowds are expected amid the Olympic Games.

READ MORE: MAP: Tiger mosquitoes reach northern France

How common is dengue fever in France?

In the first four months of 2024, 1,679 cases of dengue fever were identified in mainland France, a number that is 13 times higher than the same period last year, Le Parisien reported.

Crucially, however, none of these are believed to have been contracted in mainland France – they were all reported among patients who had recently travelled from the tropical regions where dengue fever is common.

The majority of cases were from people who had visited the Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe – where the disease is endemic.

These islands are for administrative purposes part of France – so often show up in French health data – but they are roughly 7,000km away from Paris.

So far, there have not been any indigenous cases (autochtone – or people infected on mainland French soil) yet this year.

Local transmission of the disease remains relatively rare. In 2023, nine separate outbreaks of indigenous dengue transmission were identified, one of which occurred in the Paris region. These led to 45 cases of local transmission (in mainland France).

Most were in southern France – in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Occitanie and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions – though one outbreak occurred in the Paris region, according to French public health authorities.

This is less than 2022, which was a notable year with 66 total cases of indigenous dengue fever were recorded. In comparison, between 2010 and 2021, only 48 cases (total) were recorded.

What to expect for 2024

Experts believe that the number of cases in France, including indigenous ones, will grow this year, as tiger mosquitoes now occupy more territory in mainland France.

On top of that, the number of cases has increased significantly in Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“What we see in France is a mirror image of what is happening in the French Caribbean, and more widely in Latin America and the rest of the Caribbean, where dengue fever has been circulating since the start of the year at unprecedented levels”, the head of Santé Publique France, Dr Caroline Semaille, said during a press conference.

The Olympic Games will also bring an influx of tourists from all over the world, and weather conditions are expected to be conducive to mosquitoes – a year with a lot of rainfall, and potentially high temperatures. 

What is dengue fever?

The disease is spread to people from bites by infected mosquitoes.

The most common symptoms are high fever, chills, abdominal, joint and muscle pains, and vomiting. It can also cause a skin rash that resembles measles, according to France’s Institut Pasteur.

Symptoms usually begin three to 14 days (with an average of four to seven) after being bitten.

However people are asymptomatic in 50 to 90 percent of cases (depending on the epidemic), which can make monitoring difficult.

At-risk groups include the immunocompromised, children and the elderly, who are more likely to suffer from severe forms of the disease.

Deaths from the disease are very rare, occurring in around 0.01 percent of all cases, almost all in countries that have poor healthcare systems.

How can I avoid tiger mosquitoes?

Female tiger mosquitoes lay their eggs in water, and they can lay several hundred eggs at once. Therefore try to avoid having any standing water outside your home and be aware of the items that might collect rainwater.

This includes regularly emptying vases, flower pots, as well as watering cans and pots. If you want to collect rainwater, you could cover water butts with mosquito nets or fabric to keep the mosquitoes from getting inside.

READ ALSO 5 plants that (allegedly) repel mosquitoes

You can also keep your gutters clean – this helps to keep the water flowing when it rains, and it avoids any stagnant pools from building up.

To protect yourself, try to wear long, loose and light-coloured clothing, in addition to insect repellent. You might also consider wearing a mosquito net head gear.

The main difference between tiger mosquitoes and other species would be getting a bite during the day, and the fact that tiger mosquitoes are likely to bite several times. You can tell for sure if it was a tiger mosquito by seeing the insect itself. They are also silent.

There is no immediate cause for alarm if you are bitten, in almost all cases the bites are just itchy and annoying. In very rare cases, tropical diseases can be spread by the mosquitoes – seek medical help if you develop a high fever and rash.

READ MORE: How to prevent the spread of tiger mosquitoes in France

What do tiger mosquitoes look like?

They are very small, about 5 mm, and they have a highly contrasting colour, with black and white stripes on their body and legs.

If you believe you have spotted a tiger mosquito, you can report it to public health authorities online.

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