France Issues Quarantine Requirement for Unvaccinated US Travelers

The Government of France has updated its entry requirements based on country of origin, and expanded the classifications to include “Scarlet Red.” From January 6, anyone entering France must present a negative PCR or antigen test result not older than 24 or 48 hours, depending on the country of origin. Exceptions apply to fully vaccinated individuals from an EU Member State, Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, the Holy See, or Switzerland.

  • “Green” countries: no active circulation of the virus.
  • “Orange” country: active circulation of the virus in controlled proportions.
  • The United Kingdom constitutes a special category of countries with an active circulation of a variant of concern, due to the specific measures applying to travel to and from this country since December 20, 2021.
  • “Red” countries: active circulation of the virus, presence of worrying variants.
  • “Scarlet red” country: particularly active circulation of the virus and/or discovery of a variant likely to present a risk of increased transmissibility or immune escape.

Per this latest update, the United States is now a Red country. Fully vaccinated travelers must present proof of status, and a negative PCR or antigen test taken less than 48 hours prior to departure. Unvaccinated travelers must present a negative PCR or antigen test taken less than 48 hours prior to departure, and must quarantine for 10 days upon arrival.  More information is available here.

 

Erickson Insights

The COVID-19 pandemic is rapidly evolving, and guidance from government agencies and health advisories change often.

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