American visitors who have been vaccinated may get to enjoy France’s culture, gastronomy and natural assets this summer as the country works on plans to reopen tourism.
President Emmanuel Macron said that the country’s lockdown should start easing from early May, and officials from the French government and the White House are finalizing the technical discussions around granting a “special pass” to allow US citzens to enter. Speaking to “Face the Nation” on CBS News, he said that they are working hard to propose concrete solutions for travelers who have been vaccinated or test negative for COVID-19. However, more details about how a “special pass” would work were not revealed.
Visitors may get to enjoy France’s natural assets this summer © MarinaD_37/Shutterstock.com;
France is currently undergoing a third national lockdown, but it is hoped that every adult will receive at least one dose of a vaccine before the end of the summer. While there are curfews and closures of nonessential businesses, Macron hopes to progressively lift the restrictions from the beginning of May. The EU currently has a “traffic light” system in place, and US travelers are currently not permitted to enter many countries for nonessential reasons.
However, the European Commission has outlined its plan for a certificate or pass showing that the holder has received the vaccine, recently tested negative for or recovered from the virus in the previous 180 days. Macron has indicated that the “special pass” might be part of the European certificate.
France consistently ranked as one of the world’s most-visited countries before the pandemic, however tourist numbers plummeted during the past year. Some European countries that rely heavily on tourism are also looking at ways to reopen this summer to vaccinated Americans, like Greece, which began welcoming back some visitors this month.
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The post France’s ‘special pass’ could allow vaccinated Americans to visit this summer
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