France to test travellers from coronavirus high-risk countries

The French Prime Minister, Jean Castex, has announced that people arriving from 16 countries, including India, the USA and Brazil, will be required to undergo on-the-spot Covid-19 tests on landing in France.

 Along with the United States, India and Brazil, which are reporting tens of thousands of new cases each day, the countries include Algeria, Bahrain, Israel, South Africa, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Panama, Peru, Serbia, Turkey and Madagascar.

The tests will be for "French citizens who live in these countries or citizens of these countries with an established residence in France," Castex told reporters at Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport.

Travellers testing positive will be required to spend 14 days in isolation to prevent the spread of the virus.

The prime minister did not make it clear if people would have to wait for their test results before being allowed to leave the airport.

Franco-Spanish border to remain open, for now

Coronavirus tests will be generalised across France by 1 August, and will also be carried out at French ports, Castex said.

He also said that while France's border with Spain would remain open for now despite a surge in coronavirus cases in Catalonia, "we strongly urge French people to avoid going there until the health situation improves."

As for people travelling to France from Spain, "we are in talks with the Spanish and Catalan authorities so that... they try to limit the flow as much as possible," he said.