Currently, even fully vaccinated people permitted to travel between the UK and France must take an antigen or PCR test a maximum of 24 hours before departure and fill in a French passenger locator form, as well as a British one before entering the UK.

Upon arrival in France, all passengers must self-isolate for 48 hours after which they are to free to move around if they test negative. Police are conducting checks to ensure people are respecting the quarantine rules.

Infections reaching ‘stratospheric levels’

The French decision to ease travel restrictions comes amid a “supersonic” rise in Covid infections in France, which shows no signs of slowing down in the coming days, said Mr Attal.

Omicron is now dominant in France and is driving a high number of daily infections. A total of 271,686 new Covid infections were reported in France over the past 24 hours.

There were 218,000 new cases in the UK on Tuesday.

Infections are reaching “stratospheric levels” in the Ile-de-France region around Paris and some other parts of France and the situation in hospitals could worsen in coming weeks, said Mr Attal.

France has declared a health state of emergency in its overseas territories of Guadeloupe, Guyana, Mayotte, Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélémy, where the infection rate is soaring. A state of emergency was already in place in La Réunion and Martinique.