France drops Covid test rule for all vaccinated travellers, eases mask-wearing indoors

The French government has announced all fully-vaccinated people arriving in France no longer need to show a negative Covid test. Citing an improvement in the health situation, it said it was also lifting, later this month, the requirement to wear masks indoors in venues where the vaccine pass applies.

Is the Covid cloud lifting at last? The French government seems to think so and has announced a further easing of compulsory testing and mask wearing as infection rates fall. AP - Daniel Cole

While people arriving in France from within the EU do not need to show a negative Covid test, travellers from nearly all non-EU countries have to present a negative test taken within 48 hours of departure.

The government has announced an end to that requirement as of Saturday 12 February. "Proof of vaccination will be sufficient to come to France no matter which country you are coming from, just as it was before the spread of the Omicron variant," the Prime Minister's office said in a statement.

The move follows a continuing improvement in Covid infection rates and hospitalisations, with a 37 percent drop in the number of Covid infections over the last week.

Travellers over the age of 12, who are not vaccinated but are from green-listed countries will now be able to enter with a negative Covid test.

However, those from orange-listed countries (including the UK and US) still require an essential reason to travel. Those who are allowed to enter will need to show a negative Covid test taken less than 48 hours before departure and self-isolate on arrival in France.

Loosening the masks

The government also announced that from 28 February people would no longer be required to wear masks in public spaces like bars and restaurants, sports and leisure venues which currently require a vaccine pass.

The number of tests people must take if they come into contact with a confirmed case of Covid will be reduced from three to one.

At the end of the February school holidays children in primary school will no longer be required to wear masks in the playground. 

“In a context where pressure from the epidemic is falling strongly, the vaccine pass allows us to remove the mask-wearing requirement as we have done in previous waves,” Health Minister Olivier Veran said.

France had already dropped its requirement for people to go masked outdoors at the beginning of February.

• France to drop Covid test rule for vaccinated travellers from outside of the EU

Masks will still be required on public transport and in indoor spaces not subject to the vaccine pass, the health ministry said.

Nightclubs will reopen next Wednesday as planned, concert goers will no longer have to remain seated.

With presidential elections in April and growing discontent among parts of the public about ongoing health restrictions, President Emmanuel Macron’s government has promised to further ease measures within weeks if cases continue to fall.

That has not dissuaded some protesters from forming so-called “Freedom Convoys” which began arriving in Paris on Saturday, inspired by a truckers’ blockade that has paralysed Canadian capital Ottawa for two weeks.

(with newswires)