Coronavirus: French agree to ease travel ban, but hauliers must have negative test

France has announced that journeys from the UK will be allowed to resume after the coronavirus ban was lifted, but only for those with a negative test result.

Freight lorries lined up at the front of the queue on the runway at Manston Airport, Kent.

The conditions attached to travel may do little to ease the congestion in Kent caused by the French decision to stop hauliers using the Channel crossing.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps urged lorry drivers not to head to the county.

The travel ban was imposed in response to fears about the spread of the more infectious coronavirus strain in the UK.

French transport minister Jean-Baptiste Djebarri said: “Planes, boats and Eurostar trains will resume service as of tomorrow morning.

“French nationals, people living in France and those with a legitimate reason will have to be carrying a negative test.”

Mr Shapps said: “We will provide an update on hauliers later this evening, but hauliers must still NOT travel to Kent.”

More than 2,800 HGVs were stuck in Kent on Tuesday afternoon as a result of the disruption.