France will tighten controls on travelers arriving from the UK, government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on Thursday, after infections linked to the Omicron coronavirus variant rose in the UK.

The measures will include reducing the validity of PCR tests to 24 hours from 48 hours for travelers arriving from the UK, local media cited Attal as saying. 

More than 78,000 COVID-19 infections were reported in the UK on Wednesday, the highest daily level since the start of the pandemic.