China News Agency, Paris, July 24th (Reporter Li Yang) As the spread of the new crown virus in France continues to accelerate, French officials announced on the 24th local time that they will strengthen entry prevention measures for travelers from 16 countries including the United States.
French Prime Minister Castel said when inspecting the Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport that day that passengers from 16 countries considered to have a high rate of new crown virus infection will undergo mandatory virus testing upon arrival at French airports and ports.
Castel said that currently only citizens of relevant countries with a fixed residence in France and French citizens residing in these countries are allowed to enter France, and they will be eligible for testing on arrival. Passengers who test positive will be required to quarantine for 14 days to prevent the spread of the virus.
According to the official French list, the 16 countries are the United States, Brazil, India, Algeria, Bahrain, Israel, South Africa, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Panama, Peru, Serbia, Turkey and Madagascar.
Castel said that the aforementioned mandatory virus testing will be implemented at French airports no later than August 1, and will also be carried out at French ports. But he did not specify whether people must wait for the test results to be released before being allowed to leave the airport.
French officials also expressed concern about the surge in confirmed cases in Catalonia, Spain and other places. Castel warned French citizens not to go to Catalonia on the 24th. He said that Catalonia's epidemic is worsening, so it is strongly recommended that French citizens avoid going there until the local health condition improves.
Catalonia has reported nearly 8,000 confirmed cases in the last 14 days, accounting for almost half of the confirmed cases in Spain in these 14 days. The Spanish epidemic rebounded, with 2,255 newly confirmed cases in a single day on the 24th. Castel revealed that the French side is discussing relevant issues with Spain, such as limiting the traffic flow from Spain to France as much as possible. The border between France and Spain is still open.
According to the epidemic data released by the French Ministry of Health that evening, France added 1,130 new confirmed cases in a single day on the 24th, and the number of new confirmed cases in a single day exceeded 1,000 for the second consecutive day. The number of deaths from new coronary pneumonia in France is now 30,192. (Finish)