France official warns against travel to Portugal, Spain; measures seen

  • Lusa
  • 8 July 2021

The situation in the Iberian countries is "particularly worrying", said Clement Beaune, France's Secretary of State for European Affairs, thus advising against travelling to Portugal and Spain.

France’s secretary of state for European affairs on Thursday advised residents of the country against travelling to Portugal or Spain, indicating that the authorities might step up formal measures to discourage such travel.

The situation in the Iberian countries is “particularly worrying”, Clement Beaune said in an interview with France 2 television, adding that “in the coming days there may be a strengthening of measures.”

The advice comes in the wake of a surge in new coronavirus cases, first in Portugal and then in Spain, with the spread of the more contagious Delta variant a major factor.

In the interview, Beaune said that “those who have not yet booked their holidays [should] avoid” Portugal and Spain, especially Catalonia.

“It is better to stay in France, or go to other countries,” he said.

Portugal on Wednesday recorded eight deaths associated with Covid-19, the highest figure in one day since 14 April, and 3,285 new cases of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes the disease, the highest since 11 February – although there was a decrease in the number of patients in hospital with Covid-19, according to data from the Directorate-General of Health (DGS).

Spain, meanwhile, said that it had recorded 17,384 new cases in the previous 24 hours.