Paris region and French Riviera designated “risk zones” by Germany

The regions of Île-de-France and Provence-Alpes-Côte d‘Azur have been designated "risk areas" by Germany. This means that anyone travelling from these areas to Germany must take a COVID-19 test and quarantine upon their return.

Travel restrictions

On Monday evening, the German foreign ministry designated the Île-de-France and Provence-Alpes-Côte d‘Azur regions in France as “risk areas.” As with all areas on the list, all but essential travel to these regions should be avoided. Anyone who is travelling to Germany from these areas must take a COVID-19 test and self-isolate for 14 days upon their return.

Current travel advice from the German foreign ministry asks travellers to check whether they have spent time in one of the “risk areas” on the list in the last 14 days before travelling to Germany. “Should this be the case, you must expect to be subject to mandatory testing and quarantine.”

Coronavirus in France

Over the past few weeks, the number of new coronavirus cases has continued to soar. Last week, the daily tally of new infections reached a post-lockdown record for several days in a row. The number of new infections peaked at nearly 5.000 cases in 24 hours on Sunday. On Monday, French authorities confirmed 1.955 new cases, 15 new deaths and 18 new breakout clusters under investigation in the past 24 hours.

Over the past few months, France has increased its national testing capacities, performing more than 635.000 tests a week. The French government has also reintroduced restrictions to try and curb the spread of the virus, with masks being made compulsory in workspaces and in schools for teachers and children above 11.