France allows visitors with Covishield jab
INDIA-MADE ASTRAZENECA VACCINE YET TO GET EU NOD
France will allow international travellers who have had AstraZeneca’s Indian-manufactured vaccine into the country starting today.
At the same time, France is tightening border checks to control the spread of the delta variant and protect hospitals, according to a statement from the prime minister yesterday.
The move to accept visitors vaccinated with AstraZeneca’s vaccine made by India’s Serum Institute came after a global outcry over the fact that the European Union’s Covid-19 certificate only recognises AstraZeneca vaccines manufactured in Europe.
Used in UK, Africa
Several other EU countries already accept the Indian version, which is notably used in the UK and around Africa. The varied rules from each country have further complicated this summer’s travel season. France still doesn’t recognise vaccinations by Chinese or Russian vaccines, only those authorised by the EU drug regulator: those made by Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca. Starting today, France will also start requiring anyone who isn’t vaccinated arriving from Britain, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Greece or Cyprus to present a negative test less than 24 hours old to cross French borders.
Tunisia, Indonesia, Cuba and Mozambique have now been added to France’s “red list” of countries with high virus risk, according to yesterday’s statement. However, France will now accept travellers from any red list countries if they are fully vaccinated.
Norms eased
France also shortened the time frame for when a person is considered fully vaccinated after the second dose, to one week instead of two. As infections climb anew, French President Emmanuel Macron ordered all health workers to get vaccinated by Sep. 15 and announced that special Covid-19 passes will be required in all restaurants, bars, hospitals, malls, trains, and planes. To get a pass, people must be fully vaccinated, have recently recovered, or have a fresh negative virus test. The measures have prompted record numbers of people to sign up for vaccinations.