Thursday, 19 March,
With the continued spread of the coronavirus COVID-19, many travellers are wondering whether it is better to cancel future trips. Currently, more than 212,000 people in 157 countries are affected by the virus. The most affected country is still China, but Europe has recently been called the epicentre of the disease. The most affected countries in Europe are Italy, Spain, Germany and France. In order to limit the spread of the virus on French territory, the government has put in place containment measures applicable since 17 March at 12 noon, thus drastically limiting travel, and it also recommends postponing foreign travel and cruises. Here is all the information that it is useful to have in mind regarding travel, as well as the good reflexes to have.
What are the tips for traveling?
For people who will be travelling to a country affected by VIDOC-19, several gestures can help avoid contamination: avoid kissing, shaking hands and having close contact with anyone who has a cough or fever. The other, most effective gesture is to wash your hands regularly with hydro-alcoholic solutions or soap. In restaurants or supermarkets, it is recommended to avoid eating or buying raw or undercooked meat. Finally, in these countries, it is advisable to avoid going to large events (cultural, festive...) and to keep informed of the decisions taken by the authorities on possible cancellations
Please note that it is important to find out which countries remain open to travellers. For example, the Israeli authorities have decided to ban several European nationals, including the French, from entering their territory in order to prevent the coronavirus from spreading. Other countries could also consider this.
What to do if you have symptoms once you are there?
If, once in one of the countries affected by the COVID-19 Coronavirus, you develop symptoms such as cough, fever and breathing difficulties, you should consult a local doctor as soon as possible, use disposable tissues, wash your hands as often as possible and wear a surgical mask to avoid contaminating others. You should also be reassured that VIDOC-19 is highly contagious, but it is only fatal in a very small number of cases
What should we do as soon as we return from a high-risk area?
For travellers returning from a country affected by the epidemic (China, Singapore, South Korea, Lombardy and Veneto in Italy...), the Ministry of Health recommends that within 14 days of their stay: to monitor their temperature by taking it twice a day, to wear a surgical mask when leaving home or when in contact with other people, including inside the home, to avoid leisure activities (sport, cinema, cultural events...)....), not to send children to school, to wash your hands and also to opt for teleworking, if possible
In case of symptoms, do not go to the doctor or to the hospital emergency room, but stay at home and contact the SAMU by dialling 15. People who have been in contact with someone with symptoms should themselves remain confined to their homes for 14 days and monitor their condition
Should we continue to plan our vacation for this summer?
With the arrival of spring, many people are starting to plan and book summer holidays. Yes, but what about the coronavirus? Will the outbreak be over by the time the weather turns nice? While it is true that respiratory viruses are generally more stable at low temperatures, at the moment there is no indication that the virus will stop in April. Indeed, even if it spreads less quickly in hot countries, it is still present there, as it is in Saudi Arabia. Once again, it is advisable to keep informed via the various sites made available to citizens, in order to take the right decisions, in time, because to date we do not have certain answers on the subject.
While waiting for the summer, and with spring coming, it is best to keep informed of the situation before planning a stay and booking in several countries around the world. Indeed, as France is one of the European countries most affected by the disease at the moment, many countries have taken precautions with regard to French tourists. The United States, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Mongolia, Lebanon, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Mauritius, Qatar, Argentina, Madagascar, Norway, Denmark, India, El Salvador, the Transnistrian province of Moldova, the Czech Republic and Morocco have simply banned the French from their territory. The duration varies from 14 to 30 days depending on the state.
Vietnam has suspended the visa waiver for French nationals for travel up to 15 days and Nepal has decided to stop issuing visas to French nationals on its territory, although visas can still be obtained from the consular authorities of the country of residence
Romania, China, Cyprus, Malta, Kyrgyzstan, Cook Islands, Australia, New Zealand, Tunisia, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Northern Macedonia, Russia, Laos, Hong Kong, Macao, Chad, Samoa, Burundi, Liberia, Uganda, Congo and Colombia are asking French nationals travelling to their territory to remain in quarantine for 14 days before moving freely. In some countries, home visits are even planned to check on the condition of individuals (Armenia), when Kazakhstan plans to call travellers there daily for 14 days and the Sultanate of Brunei offers to carry out medical self-monitoring of their condition for 2 weeks (temperature), without the obligation of isolation
As regards air and rail transport companies, several have so far relaxed their reimbursement conditions, for the time being until the end of April, thus adapting to the sharp reduction in demand. As a result, until 31 March, British Airways, Air Malta, American Airlines and Lufthansa, for example, have decided to abolish the fee for changing reservations made before 5 March until 30 April. For its part, the SNCF has decided to abolish the fees for exchanging tickets and to reimburse travellers for travel on Intercités and TGV, also until 30 April. The situation is to be monitored closely for the periods that follow.
Several sites are available to travellers and anyone in doubt, so don't hesitate to consult them in order to follow the evolution of the situation: the Quai d'Orsay Traveller's Advice page, the World Health Organization site and Info Coronavirus - Gouvernement.fr
