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Delta variant: France warns citizens against travel to Spain, Portugal

WION Web Team
New DelhiUpdated: Jul 08, 2021, 07:59 PM IST
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Representative image Photograph:(Reuters)

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Right now, France allows people to travel to all other European Union member states if they are fully vaccinated or presently negative PCR or antigen test on their return

France warned its nationals on Thursday not to travel to Spain or Portugal on holiday. The warning has been given in view of a spike in Covid cases caused by Delta variant. The variant is highly contagious.

Right now, France allows people to travel to all other European Union member states if they are fully vaccinated or presently negative PCR or antigen test on their return.

But Europe Minister Clement Beaune pointedly advised the French against crossing the Pyrenees mountains to Spain or Portugal.

"For those who have not yet booked their holidays, avoid Spain and Portugal as a destination," he told France 2 television. "It's better to remain in France or go to other countries."

Beaune added that France, which fears being hit by a fourth wave of coronavirus infections this summer, was weighing restrictions on travel in Europe over the spread of the highly infectious Delta mutation.

"We have to be careful... the pandemic is not over," he said. "We will decide in the coming days, but we could put in place reinforced measures."

Germany has already put a ban on travellers from Portugal. Delta variant has become dominant in Portugal

Portugal's Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva acknowledged that the health situation in his country had "worsened" and said France's concerns were "understandable."

(With inputs from agencies)