France bans all non-essential travel from the UK as Omicron cases surge there

• The UK is seeing record coronavirus cases as the Omicron variant grows there.
• France is responding by banning non-essential travellers from the UK from entering France.

France on Saturday will ban all non-essential travel from the UK after the rapid growth of the Omicron coronavirus variant there.

The French government said in a statement on Thursday that there will be a "requirement to have an essential reason to travel to, or come from, the UK, both for the unvaccinated and vaccinated ... People cannot travel for touristic or professional reasons," The Telegraph reported.

The office of France's prime minister also told The Telegraph: "Travel for British tourists will be forbidden."

Cases of the Omicron variant have surged in the UK. The variant appears to be significantly more transmissible than the Delta variant that was already circulating, which means many more people getting infected.

The UK on Wednesday recorded 78,610 new infections — the greatest number of new daily cases the UK has recorded since the pandemic began.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on Sunday that a "tidal wave" of Omicron cases was coming.

PCR tests will only be accepted for essential travelers to enter the country if they were taken within 24 hours of the traveler's arrival, Le Monde reported. Previously, people could show tests taken within 48 hours to enter France from the UK.