Lunchtime News Thursday 16th December 2021

News

Restrictions for travellers returning from UK - Faced with the Omicron variant that has hit the United Kingdom hard, Paris has decided to tighten the rules for travellers returning from the UK. A test will now be mandatory to return to France. According to Matignon an announcement will be made later today Thursday 16th December, making the obligation from Saturday 18th December to present an antigenic test or PCR of less than 24 hours for all travellers from the United Kingdom, whether they are vaccinated or not. To travel across the Channel or to be able to return to France, it will also be necessary to have a compelling reason, regardless of the vaccination status of the traveller. Tourist travel will therefore be impossible. However, French nationals and their families will still be able to return to France. Finally, the government will announce the obligation of isolation on arrival. It will be necessary to communicate an address to the authorities and controls will be possible. The isolation can be lifted after 48 hours on presentation of a negative test.

Poll shows 1 in 5 French people refuse to spend Christmas with an unvaccinated loved one - According to a recent poll conducted by Elabe 64% of French people say they are worried about the spread of covid with 20% saying they would even refuse to spend the holidays with an unvaccinated loved one. On the other hand, 36% say that this would not be a problem for them. The survey also showed that 24% of French people say they "intend to be tested for covid before being reunited with their loved ones" for the end of the year holidays. "Conversely, 59% will not be tested, of which 30% probably not and 29% definitely not."

Nice tops ranking for city in France which spends the most on security - Nice is the city in France which spends the most on security. Nice tops the ranking from Le Figaro which lists cities in France which deploy the most resources for security. With 19.65 agents and 71.79 cameras per 100,000 inhabitants. This is more than Nîmes, Perpignan and Aix-en-Provence. It is even much more than Paris which comes only twentieth in the ranking.

André Boite 111 years old - Niçois André Boite looks set to become the dean of the French at the age of 111 and following the death of Mercel Meys who died this week at the age of 112. Boite celebrated his 111th birthday on December 6 and is already dean of the Alpes-Maritimes. The Niçois, former head of the Villefranche-sur-Mer initiative syndicate, lives in his apartment on the Moyenne Corniche, in Nice. His secret of youth? Good mood. No cigarettes or alcohol, except a glass of champagne or Sancerre on special occasions.

 

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