Travelers reaching France from outside the European Union will be obliged to show a negative COVID-19 test, regardless of their vaccination status, French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on Wednesday.

France will allow in flights from 10 southern African countries from Saturday, but with "drastic" restrictions permitting only French and EU residents to disembark, along with diplomats and flight crews.

The move is part of a bundle of measures aimed at tackling a new surge in infections as worries caused by the newly detected Omicron variant loom.

Talking to journalists after a government meeting, Attal said that decisions regarding intra-EU travel would be coordinated by European leaders later this week.

(With input from Reuters, AFP)