British holidaymakers vaccinated against coronavirus or with negative test ‘can visit France from June 9’

FILE PHOTO: Outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London
REUTERS

British holidaymakers will reportedly be able to visit France from June 9 if they are vaccinated against coronavirus or have a recent negative test.

The leaked plan suggests the country will be joining Spain, Portugal and Greece in reopening to tourists for the summer season by accepting so-called vaccine passports.

France is to start lifting its lockdown from Monday. Restaurant terraces are to reopen in mid-May, before most social measures are eased June 30.

That’s according to the same leaked proposal, which suggests France will fully reopened just nine days after the UK despite having a higher Covid infection, hospitalisation and death rates.

Earlier this week, Portugal’s ambassador to the UK raised hopes that holidaymakers will be able to visit the country as early as mid-May.

Manuel Lubo Antunes said on Wednesday that Portugal wanted to remove border restrictions for UK travellers “as soon as possible”.

He told Sky News: “We are hopeful, as we have been saying for these last months, that middle of May for regular mobility between the UK and Portugal and vice versa can be established.

“That is our hope.”

Asked if holidaymakers would be allowed in if they were yet to be fully vaccinated: “Yes that is the idea, it’s what we wanted as much possible to go back to the regime that existed before the pandemic.

“We want to remove the last barriers and hurdles between us as much as possible.”

He said he is is confident that Portugal would be placed on the UK’s “green list” of safe countries, which are yet to be decided.

He hoped that UK tourists would come back this year in “great numbers” to enjoy the food and mountains of the north and sunny beaches of south Portugal.

Portugal had on average of 2 million visitors a year before the pandemic, a cornerstone of their economy.

Mr Antunes added that the country would be monitoring transmission rates but their “vicious and efficient” vaccination programme would have 70 per cent of nationals fully jabbed by the summer.

His comments follow positive remarks from Spain’s tourism minister who said the country would be ready to welcome back UK tourists in June.

The EU previously set out plans for coronavirus vaccine certificates that could be used by British holidaymakers this summer.

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