Anyone over the age of eleven wishing to travel to Corsica from December 19 to January 8 will have to perform a PCR or antigen test 72 hours before embarking for the Mediterranean island.
"People must be able to present, in the event of a police check, proof from the laboratory or the pharmacy", underlined the prefect.
People wishing to go to Corsica during the end of the year celebrations must have done a PCR or antigen test 72 hours before boarding a boat or a plane to the Mediterranean island, the prefect announced on Saturday.
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Obtaining a negative test for Covid-19 will be a required condition from December 19 and until January 8 to be able to travel to Corsica for all people over the age of eleven, said the prefect, Pascal. Lelarge, and the director general of the Regional Health Agency (ARS) of Corsica, Marie-Hélène Lecenne during a press conference in Ajaccio.
They said they had conducted a "wide consultation" with the economic and health actors of the island before arriving at these measures.
A test within 72 hours before boarding
"This obligation will consist in carrying out a test within 72 hours before boarding. We consider that the very wide availability of tests, whether PCR or antigenic, should not pose any difficulty for visitors", explained the prefect.
If the results of these tests will not be directly requested by the various airlines or shipping companies from passengers, the latter must complete a sworn statement before boarding certifying that they are not positive for Covid-19 and do not present no symptoms.
135 euros fine in case of violation
"People must have on them and be able to present, in the event of a police check, proof from the laboratory or the pharmacy proving that they have passed the test", underlined the prefect.
Any infringement will be punished with a fine of 135 euros.
To ensure the proper functioning of this system, controls will be put in place in island ports and airports, on arrival and departure.
However, the system is intended to be more flexible than that set up in overseas territories (Réunion, Guadeloupe, etc.) where travelers from mainland France must prove that they have had a negative test because they cannot give a denial of boarding stricto sensu.
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To justify the implementation of this new measure in Corsica, the director of the ARS highlighted the "very particular situation" of the island where the incidence rate of the virus has fallen sharply, at a time when flows Large numbers of visitors are expected from territories where the incidence rate is still high.
During the first wave of Covid-19 in the spring, Corsica was particularly affected.
In total, 138 people have died on this island of 340,000 inhabitants since the start of the epidemic (including 49 since September), according to the ARS.