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Paris – The French authorities confirmed the first case of the new variant of the coronavirus that led to strict confinement in Britain and international travel restrictions.
A Frenchman living in England arrived in France on Dec. 19 and tested positive for the new variant on Friday, the public health authority said in a statement. He had not developed any symptoms and was isolated in his home in the city of Tours, in the center of the country.
Authorities followed the individual’s contacts and labs analyzed the results of other people who may have contracted the new variant, the statement said.
Some European countries have also reported cases of the new variant, which, according to UK authorities, appears more contagious and is spreading rapidly.
Britain’s announcement, made on December 19, caused several countries to suspend flights from the UK, and France banned all passengers and cargo from the country for two days, causing massive traffic problems in the US. British port of Dover.
France reopened the border, but now asks that anyone coming from Great Britain can prove they are not infected with the new variant.
A second partial lockdown has significantly reduced the number of coronavirus cases in France, but they have risen again in the past two weeks. France has one of the highest death tolls from the virus in the world.