The Cannes Film Festival
The ever-rumbling question of who will be allowed to travel to the Cannes Film Festival has taken another major — and positive — turn, with fresh reports stating that France will now allow fully vaccinated travelers from the U.K. and U.S. to enter the country without being forced to self-isolate on arrival.
The Times reported Friday that France is to introduce the new measures from Wednesday, June 9, the date when European Union countries are expected to ease border restrictions. Both the U.S. and U.K. are set to appear on the orange list of countries in a new traffic light system being introduced. Visitors from this list will still need to show a negative PCR test taken 72 hours before travel.
However, as per restrictions announced last week, unvaccinated visitors from the U.K. will still be required to quarantine for seven days, after providing “compelling reasons” for traveling to the country and proof of a negative test result.
Gallery: Unusual COVID vaccination venues (Reuters)
Green list countries are set to include European Union nations, plus Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Israel, Japan, Lebanon and Singapore. Only non-vaccinated travelers from these countries will require a PCR or antigen test before flying. Red list countries will include South Africa, Argentine, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Turkey and Uruguay. Visitors from these countries will have to quarantine for seven to 10 days upon arrival, and will need to have a compelling reason to visit alongside a negative test.
The latest news spells good news for the U.K. industry, which appeared to be completely shut out of Cannes just a week ago. Over half of U.K. adults have now been vaccinated with two doses, according to the government, but these are primarily older groups or those considered to be in at-risk categories. The latest news could mean a surge in Brits rushing to get their second injection ahead of the festival, which kicks off July 6. However, rules stipulate that the second dose must have been taken two weeks prior.
On Thursday, Cannes unveiled its official lineup, with a typically strong European showing, although Sean Penn’s Flag Day, Sean Baker’s Red Rocket and Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch will all screen in competition.
