Border restrictions introduced by France to curb the spread of coronavirus variants have halved air passenger numbers in the past week, the transport minister said on Sunday, defending the government’s avoidance of a new lockdown.

The French government has so far resisted calls from health experts to impose a third nationwide lockdown, aiming to rein in high contamination rates through an evening curfew, curbs on leisure activities and the tougher rules on foreign travel.

Since last Sunday, France has banned non-essential travel to and from destinations outside the European Union, as well as to French overseas territories.

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