Two groups of the coronavirus variant first discovered in the UK have been detected in France, the Ministry of Health said on Thursday. The discovery comes as Prime Minister Jean Castex announced an extension of the border closure between the UK and France.
A total of 19 cases of the variant have been identified in the country, including one group in the central French region of Ile-de-France and the other in Brittany, in the west of the country, according to the ministry. in a statement.
The border between Britain and France will remain closed “until further notice”, with only specific categories of people able to travel, as long as they meet a negative coronavirus test before entering the country – Castex told a news conference.
“We’re now a little over 15,000 new cases a day, or three times the target of 5,000,” Castex said. The rise in infections worsens than in mid-December, he warned.
On December 20, France closed the border with Britain after a new variant of the Covid-19 was found in the United Kingdom. Two days later, Castex said French citizens, residents and those with a “legitimate reason” can come in as long as they can prove a negative test of Covid-19.
The coronavirus has killed 66,841 people in France, according to the latest figures released by the health authority on Thursday. A total of 2,727,321 people have been infected with the virus since the start of the pandemic.