PARIS, Feb 12 — The French government on Friday said it would scrap the requirement for a negative Covid-19 test for all vaccinated travellers arriving in the country.

From Saturday "proof of vaccination will be sufficient to come to France whatever country you are coming from, just as it was before the spread of the Omicron variant”, a government statement said.

The move coincided, the statement said, with "the new phase of the pandemic characterised in most countries by the predominance of the Omicron variant and higher vaccination rates”.

Unvaccinated travellers would still have to show a negative test, but other measures such testing on arrival and quarantine would be removed if coming from a "green list” country, the statement added.

Those without jabs coming from France’s "orange list” countries, however, would continue to need an essential reason to travel to France and to take a test after arriving.

France’s latest travel testing regime was introduced in December with the aim of limiting the circulation of Omicron and preventing an explosion in cases. — AFP