Two clusters of the coronavirus variant first discovered in the UK have been discovered in France, the Health Ministry said Thursday. The discovery comes when Prime Minister Jean Castex announced an extension of the border closures between the UK and France.
A total of 19 cases of the variant have been identified in the country, including one cluster in the central French region of Ile-de-France, and the other in Brittany, west of the country, the ministry said in a statement.
The border between Britain and France remains closed “until further notice,” with only specific categories of people who can travel – provided they undergo a negative coronavirus test before entering the country – Castex said in a news conference.
“We are now just over 15,000 new daily cases, or three times the target of 5,000,” said Castex. The increase in infections is getting worse than mid-December, he warned.
On December 20, France closed its border with Great Britain after a new Covid-19 variant was found in the UK. Two days later, Castex said that French nationals, residents and people with “legitimate reason” can participate, as long as they can show they have a negative Covid-19 test.
The coronavirus has claimed the lives of 66,841 people in France, according to the latest figures released by the health authority on Thursday. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, a total of 2,727,321 people have been infected with the virus.