Updated on 14 April
Growing fears about the spread of the Brazilian variant, considered more transmissible and resistant to vaccines, led France to suspend flights from Brazil. And this " until further notice "Prime Minister Jean Castex announced to the National Assembly on 13 April. A decree published in the Journal Officiel on 14 April specifies that ". In view of the health situation in Brazil and by way of derogation from the provisions of this decree, the movement of persons from this country to the territory of the Republic, with the exception of those necessary for the transport of goods, is prohibited until midnight on 19 April 2021. "Alongside this ban, the government is studying the repatriation of French nationals by direct or indirect flights.
The Brazilian variant, known as P.1, is responsible for an upsurge in the epidemic in this country, already one of the hardest hit by the pandemic in the world, with over 350,000 deaths. Above all, this mutation of the virus is particularly affecting a population hitherto little affected, the under-40swhich, in March, accounted for more than half the patients placed in intensive care. Hence the growing concern among epidemiologists that this variant spread rapidly across EuropeThis also raises concerns about air links between the two countries.
In a press release dated 12 April, Jean-Baptiste Djebarri, the Minister for Transport, recalled that measures put in place to severely restrict travel from Brazil. In other words, strict pre-board screening, the obligation to present a negative PCR test, and the requirement for all passengers, whether non-European or non-European residents, to provide proof of a compelling reason to travel to France.
On arrival in France, the Ministry explains, all passengers on flights from Brazil are resubmitted to an antigen test on arrival in France, and if the test is positive, the passenger is obliged to go into quarantine. However, as several news reports have shown, controls are actually quite rareThe quarantine recommended to all passengers on arrival is based on a "sworn" declaration.
Pressed by opposition MPs, the Prime Minister admitted in front of the MPs that ". that the situation is worsening "As a result, air traffic between the two countries has been suspended. Other countries in Europe had already taken drastic measures, such as the United Kingdom, which some time ago placed Brazil on the list of the most dangerous airlines in the world. on its red list, i.e. all travel from Brazil is prohibited except for British nationals, who have to undergo a costly ten-day hotel quarantine on their return. The air crossroads between Europe and BrazilPortugal, for its part, suspended all its flights from the end of January.
Will other countries be taking the same decision in the near future? For the moment, Lufthansa is continuing to offer a daily flight between Frankfurt and Sao PauloIberia has four weekly flights from Madrid to Sao Paulo.
