Paris has announced a restriction on UK tourists entering the country to contain the spread of the more dangerous Omicron version of Covid-19, which is already widespread in the United Kingdom.

On Thursday, French government spokesman Gabriel Attal stated that tightening restrictions on persons flying from the United Kingdom will allow France additional time to prepare for an impending wave of diseases.

France will prohibit any travel from the United Kingdom unless there is an exceptional circumstance. Paris announced in a statement that travel for tourism and business purposes would be prohibited.

"We're going to tighten up our border controls with the United Kingdom," Attal said in an interview with France's BFMTV. The changes, presented later Thursday by the prime minister's office, would include a reduction in the time required for a valid PCR test from 48 to 24 hours for persons arriving from the UK. Regardless of immunization status, the change will take effect on Saturday.

The decision comes after the UK recorded the most significant number of Covid-19 cases in a single day on Wednesday. However, it's worth noting that testing capacity was severely limited during the virus's initial wave in 2020.

The increasing number of Covid-19 cases in the United Kingdom has been attributed to the advent of the Omicron version. On Thursday, Grant Shapps, the British Transport Minister, said hauliers would be excluded from French regulations.