France eases SA travel restrictions as Western Cape exits Covid-19 fourth wave peak

South Africa is no longer on the French scarlet red list which restricts travel. Picture: File

South Africa is no longer on the French scarlet red list which restricts travel. Picture: File

Published Jan 6, 2022

Share

FRANCE has eased travel restrictions for vaccinated South Africans as the Western Cape confirms the province has passed its Covid-19 fourth wave peak.

The European country joined other nations such as Germany and USA in easing travel restrictions following the emergence of the Omicron variant in November last year.

On Thursday, the French Consulate General in Cape Town Tweeted that as of December 6 all vaccinated travellers from South Africa will be allowed to enter France with their vaccination certificate as well as a negative pcr and antigen test (no older than 48 hours).

Speaking at a weekly briefing on the pandemic management, Premier Alan Winde said he was pleased that the province had passed the peak of the fourth wave as case numbers are expected to decline in the coming weeks.

Around 4.4 million vaccinations have been administered in the province to date with 46.62% of the total adult population having been fully vaccinated.

“Our priority in rolling out our vaccine programme is to ensure that those at the highest risk of hospitalisation and death are fully vaccinated and protected. I am pleased to note that to date, 62.73% of those who are 50 years and older have already been fully vaccinated in the Western Cape and strongly encourage those who have not already done so to get vaccinated,” he said.

“As the festive season comes to an end, let’s continue to stay safe and be responsible. Based on scientific advice, we urge the public to follow key steps in the weeks ahead to protect themselves and their families.”