Holidays cut short for German tourists as Paris, Cote d'Azur labeled hot spots

Record ID: 1568484

  • Title: Holidays cut short for German tourists as Paris, Cote d'Azur labeled hot spots
  • Date: 25th August 2020
  • Summary: NICE, FRANCE (AUGUST 25, 2020) (REUTERS) PEOPLE ON BEACH PEOPLE SUNBATHING ON BEACH PEOPLE IN PARACHUTE TAKING OFF ON BEACH VARIOUS OF BEACH UMBRELLAS FLAGS NEAR PROMENADE DES ANGLAIS, INCLUDING GERMAN FLAG GERMAN TOURIST FROM STUTTGART, YASSINE TUZCU, SITTING ON BENCH BY BEACH (SOUNDBITE) (English) GERMAN TOURIST FROM STUTTGART, YASSINE TUZCU, SAYING: "We don't know what our plan is. We want to stay here because we like it here very much. It's our first time in France. But we don't want to do a test before we go back to Germany, that's our problem. And our holiday was normally until Sunday, but our plan is to go tomorrow or in two days." CRUISE SHIP AT SEA TOURISTS FROM GERMANY ON PROMENADE (JOURNALIST ASKING: "And you are surprised by this decision?") (SOUNDBITE) (English) IRAQI TOURIST MARWA, WHO LIVES IN GERMANY, ASKED IF SHE WAS SURPRISED, SAYING: "Yes, really, yes, because we asked before we came, and it was a green zone so it wasn't anything there. But now, it's a red zone, so we have to make a test." CHECK-IN AREA AT NICE AIRPORT VARIOUS OF GERMAN TOURIST, LEN STROBACH, QUEUING WITH LUGGAGE FOR CHECK-IN (SOUNDBITE) (English) GERMAN TOURIST, LEN STROBACH, SAYING: "Yes, we know about it (new restrictions), but for us, it's not really a problem, we would have tested ourselves anyway. And yes, it's for everyone's safety, so I think it's a good measure. So why not?" ROISSY-EN-FRANCE, FRANCE (AUGUST 25, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE AT CHECK-IN AREA AT CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT OFF PARIS VARIOUS OF SCHEDULE BOARDS SHOWING FLIGHT TO HAMBURG (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN TOURIST, WOLFGANG SAELZER, SAYING: "I think that this is actually appropriate and we will get tested once we are in Hamburg at the airport. And we naturally hope that the test will be negative so that we can then forget about the quarantine. That's how we understand it." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE AT CHECK-IN AREA (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN TOURIST, WOLFGANG SAELZER, SAYING: "We spent one week in Cap Ferret, there was no difficulties there, and then one day here in Paris where there is the obligation to wear a mask, but it hasn't bothered us too much. We think it's right that with the increasing numbers, they (German government) have reacted this way." AIR FRANCE PLANE TAKING OFF PARIS, FRANCE (AUGUST 25, 2020) (REUTERS) PLACE DE LA REPUBLIQUE SQUARE PEOPLE ON STREET PLACE DE LA REPUBLIQUE STATUE (SOUNDBITE) (French) 51-YEAR-OLD PARISIAN LAWYER, DAVID, SAYING: "I travel a lot abroad. I live in Paris, but I'm shocked to see people not wear their masks in Paris. I think it's a basic prevention measure, so if we don't do that, then I think other countries are right in taking precautions." (SOUNDBITE) (French) 24-YEAR-OLD FRENCH RESIDENT FROM ARLES, FLORENT SABATIER, SAYING: "Everyone has to do as they think right to protect their fellow citizens. It's a good decision to prevent Germans and French tourists from going there (Paris and Cote d'Azur)."
  • Embargoed: 8th September 2020 16:03
  • Keywords: Cote d'Azur France Germany Nice Paris coronavirus quarantine
  • Location: ROISSY-EN-FRANCE, NICE AND PARIS, FRANCE
  • City: ROISSY-EN-FRANCE, NICE AND PARIS, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Health/Medicine
  • Reuters ID: LVA001CSQZQRR
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: German tourists had to cut short their summer holidays in the picturesque Paris and Cote d'Azur regions this week as Germany announced new travel restrictions for those returning from the French tourist destinations.
    Germany has issued a travel warning for Paris and the Cote d'Azur region due to rising coronavirus infections there, the foreign ministry in Berlin said late on Monday (August 24).
    The foreign ministry said it was warning against unnecessary tourist trips to the Ile-de-France region, which includes the French capital, and the southern region of Provence-Alpes-Cote-d'Azur, which includes Marseille and Nice, due to the high number of COVID-19 infections.
    People returning from these zones will have to get tested upon arrival in Germany and will have to undergo quarantine while awaiting results.
    Some German tourists in the holiday city of Nice in the French Riviera now plan to leave sooner than expected. Stuttgart resident Yassine Tuzcu was planning to end his trip on Sunday, but due to the new measures, he said he will depart from Nice in two days at the latest.
    "We don't know what our plan is. We want to stay here because we like it here very much… but we don't want to do a test before we go back to Germany," he said.
    But many German visitors understood the necessity of the new rules.
    "It's not really a problem, we would have got ourselves tested anyway," German tourist Len Strobach said. "It's for everyone's safety, so I think it's a good measure."
    The number of new, confirmed cases of COVID-19 in France has risen by 1,955 compared to the previous day, the French health ministry said on Monday, although the increase in new cases was less than in previous days.
    The figure was less than the 4,897 new cases registered on Sunday (August 23), although 22 new clusters had been discovered in the last 24 hours, added the ministry.
    (Production: Eric Gaillard, Noemie Olive, Thierry Chiarello, Ardee Napolitano, Emilie Delwarde)
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