SA Off France’s Scarlet List, Emmanuel Macron Expresses Disdain for Unvaccinated People

• France has announced that fully vaccinated travellers from South Africa will be able to visit with quarantining
• Many countries have lifted the travel restrictions placed on southern African countries after the discovery of the Omicron variant
• French President Emmanuel Macron made intense public statements expressing his dislike for unvaccinated people

PARIS - France has announced that fully vaccinated travellers from South Africa will be able to visit without needing an emergency reason or a self-isolation period.

This follows the recent global trend where countries are starting to lift the travel restrictions placed on southern African countries after the Omicron variant of Covid-19 was discovered in the region.

Other countries that have eased their travel restrictions on South Africa include Denmark, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Germany, Business Insider reports. These countries no longer require quarantine but may insist on travellers having a PCR test 72 hours before leaving South Africa.

Read also

Australia to SA flights back on in 2022 says Qantas after 21 months, 1st flight lands today

Macron's public remarks about unvaccinated people

French President Emmanuel Macron made intense public statements expressing his dislike for unvaccinated people in France. But, according to Reuters, these remarks have been met with backlash from people who feel that his strong language was inappropriate.

Macron said in a newspaper interview that he wants to enforce strict vaccine mandates in France so that he can "piss off" unvaccinated people. In the same interview, he implied that French people need to be vaccinated to consider them citizens, and he called their decision irresponsible.

However, some of Macron's advisors fear that these remarks will make him lose popularity, which is a crucial concern with the upcoming French election in April, which Macron is running for. Nearly three-quarters of France is fully vaccinated, but vaccine scepticism still abounds.

Read also

New Year's Eve is a time to reflect on 2021 says President Ramaphosa in message to South Africa

Reactions to Macron's view of unvaccinated people

@MaziNnaSon1 asked:

"My body my choice what's wrong about that @macron?'

@mk_rodgers believes:

"Good. We should be doing the same damn thing in the US."

@fmcandrew said:

"I stand with President Macron."

@seanphz shared:

"France is 74% fully vaccinated, so Macron is good."

@marthajadams replied:

"Bravo, President Emmanuel Macron!"

Australia to SA flights back on in 2022, says Qantas after 21 months

In other news about travel restrictions, Briefly News previously reported that after nearly two years of no commercial passenger flights between South Africa and Australia, Qantas will land at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg from Australia on 4 January.

Since the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, Qantas grounded the majority of its international flights as Australia's re-entry requirements were strictly enforced. Australia has the world's second-largest ex-pat South African community consisting of 200 000 people.

A limited number of repatriation flights were hosted by Qantas between South Africa and Australia since the pandemic began, but the lack of regular international flights caused major financial losses to the airline.

Source: Briefly News