London, July 25, 2020 (AltAfrica)-Travellers visiting France from Ghana, Morocco and Nigeria will not be subjected mandatory on-the-spot Covid-19 tests because their countries are not considered to be high risk

But Algeria, Madagascar and South Africa are not so lucky as they were included in a list of sixteen high-risk countries whose citizens/travellers arriving in France would be subjected to the-spot Covid-19 test on arrival

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Ina new guidelines released on Friday by France, travellers from countries where the infection rate is deemed to be high will be subject to compulsory testing on arrival at French airports and sea ports, French Prime Minister Jean Castex told reporters during a visit to Charles-de-Gaulle international airport, north of Paris.

The tests will apply to “French citizens who live in these countries or citizens of these countries with an established residence in France” who will be the only ones allowed to enter, the prime minister added

France does not allow general travel to and from these countries, which include the United States and Brazil.

Travellers who test positive will be required to spend 14 days in isolation to prevent the spread of the virus.

Castex said some of the high-risk countries already require airline passengers to show a negative virus test before boarding. It was not clear if they would be re-tested for the on-the-spot-covid-19 tests upon arrival in France.

He also did not specify if people would have to wait for their test results before being allowed to leave the airport.

Along with the United States and Brazil, which are reporting tens of thousands of new cases each day, other countries include Bahrain, Israel, India, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Panama, Peru, Serbia and Turkey

Morocco, which has reported rising cases in recent weeks, is not on the list for now but could be added later, an official in the prime minister’s office said.

Coronavirus tests will be rolled out across France by August 1, and will also be carried out at French ports, Castex said.

The new measures come amid signs that the rate of infection is accelerating again in France more than two months into the country’s gradual exit from lockdown.

On Friday, the health ministry said the number of confirmed cases had risen by 1,130 over 24 hours. It was the second consecutive day that new cases exceeded 1,000.

The ministry, in a statement, said the figures showed the need for people not to lower their guard while the virus continues to circulate.

“We have cancelled out much of the progress accomplished during the first weeks of exit from lockdown,” the ministry said, citing reports that some people who test positive for the virus fail to self-isolate.