- Title: 'Some reopened too quickly': France betting on caution - minister
- Date: 19th July 2021
- Summary: BARCELONA, SPAIN (JULY 16-17, 2021) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) PEOPLE WALKING WITHOUT MASKS ON CROWDED STREET PEOPLE SITTING, EATING AND DRINKING AT RESTAURANT TERRACES BARCELONA, SPAIN (RECENT - JULY 10, 2021) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) VARIOUS OF REVELLERS DANCING AT BARCELONETA BEACH
- Embargoed: 2nd August 2021 15:03
- Keywords: Beaune Covid-19 Spain restrictions
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE / BARCELONA, SPAIN
- City: PARIS, FRANCE / BARCELONA, SPAIN
- Country: France
- Topics: Europe,Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA002EMI9Z5Z
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: France's junior European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune defended his country's careful approach to reopening on Monday (July 19), citing the resurgence of COVID-19 cases and the return of some restrictions in neighbouring European countries.
"What I see when I look at Europe is that countries (...) have reopened sometimes too quickly, maybe recklessly," he said. "It is about learning lessons in order to prevent this from happening too quickly and without any precautions in our country or elsewhere."
France is experiencing a new increase of COVID-19 cases and has opted to strengthen checks for travellers coming back from a series of countries which have gone further than France in lifting restrictions.
"It is not about pointing the finger," Beaune insisted.
French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Friday that unvaccinated people coming from the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, the Netherlands and Greece would be required to show a negative COVID-19 test done in the last 24 hours in order to be allowed to enter French territory.
In early June, authorities in Spain were breathing a sigh of relief at having brought COVID-19 cases down to a trickle. However, by mid-July regions like Catalonia have imposed curfews and other restrictions as the nation scrambled to control the outbreak.
France reported more than 12,500 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, the third day that the tally has held above 10,000, as the quick spread of the more contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 led to a jump in new infections.
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