Coronavirus: France threatens to impose 'reciprocal' measures after UK government adds country to quarantine list

'I told my counterpart Grant Shapps of our will to harmonise health protocols in order to ensure a high level of protection on both sides of the Channel'

France has warned of imposing “reciprocal” measures after the UK government removed the country from a list of destinations exempt from quarantine restrictions – plunging hundreds of thousands of travellers’ plans into chaos.

Clement Beaune, the country’s secretary of state for European affairs, said of the announcement: “A British decision which we regret and which will lead to reciprocal measures, all in hoping for a return for normal as soon as possible.”

It comes after the country recorded 2,669 new cases of Covid-19 in a single day – the highest figure since lockdown measures were eased – with the health ministry warning that the circulation of the virus was “intensifying”.

It is not clear yet what measures the French authorities may be planning, but earlier this year Paris announced those arriving from the UK would have to self-isolate for 14-days as Boris Johnson’s administration implemented a blanket quarantine. This was before air bridges were agreed.

With UK tourists already facing a 14-day quarantine when they return home such a move from the French government would effectively end most travel between both countries this summer.

Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, the country’s transport secretary, added that he had spoken with the UK government regarding the decision on Thursday evening.

“I told my counterpart Grant Shapps of our will to harmonise health protocols in order to ensure a high level of protection on both sides of the Channel,” he said.

It comes after the UK reimposed mandatory quarantines for travellers arriving back in the country from France the Netherlands, Malta, Monaco, the Turks & Caicos islands, and Aruba – effective from 4am Saturday. Those arriving from these countries afterwards, will be forced to self-isolate at home for two weeks, or risk being fined up to £1,000 by the authorities.

Appearing on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Shapps said “this has not been the easiest of summers to take holidays” as UK tourists were given a 30-hour window to return from France or face 14-days of self-isolation at home.

He added: “There are about 160,000 holidaymakers in France we think, who will now be affected by this. I’m afraid it is one of those summers where no one controls this virus – even less so outside of the UK.

“I suppose we went into it with our eyes open and unfortunately in the case of France, as the French prime minister Jean Castex said this week France is ‘going to wrong way’ with coronavirus and indeed the figures last night confirmed that.”

Asked whether the government could have given travellers more notice, the cabinet minister added: “With France and these other countries – the Netherlands and elsewhere – the numbers have just gone above the threshold, which is about 20 cases per 100,000, but measured on a seven-day rolling average.

“To given you an indication of this in the last week French cases went up by 66 per cent so they breached that 20 per 100,000.”