France has dropped some of the restrictions for travellers to New Caledonia.
As of today, there is no longer a need to prove urgent personal circumstances to be allowed into the territory.
Aircalin's first Airbus A330-900neo. Photo: Airbus
In a letter to the New Caledonian government, The French High Commissioner Patrice Faure said the risk of contamination is higher in New Caledonia and therefore restrictions on the freedom of movement pose no serious health risk.
Faure says this step will also reduce the risk of French officials and medical staff quitting New Caledonia because of their inability to freely leave and return.
Travellers, however, must be fully vaccinated, undergo a test on arrival and spend a week in isolation either at a hotel or at home.
The government restricted air travel to repatriation flights in March 2020 and said it wanted the regime to stay in place until the end of the year.
It is expected to discuss the French decision to ease access on Tuesday.
The government-owned carrier Aircalin is seeking more than $US30 million in loans for the relaunch and expansion of its network next year.
In conjunction with Air France, Aircalin has maintained a link between Noumea and Paris for essential transports since the start of the pandemic, and according to its general manager, this meant that losses were not as great as feared.
The carrier plans to restart its services to Australia and New Zealand but also launch a new route to Singapore.
Restrictions for All Saints Day
New Caledonia is marking All Saints Day under a new strict lockdown because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and cemeteries are closed for the day.
The authorities imposed a strict lockdown and a ban on the sale of alcohol for the long weekend but will lift them tomorrow morning.
Almost 11,000 people have contracted the virus since the start of the latest community outbreak two months ago, and more than 260 people have died.
The outbreak is on the wane, but 25 Covid-19 patients are still in intensive care.
Vaccinations have picked up and 76 percent of the eligible population has had at least one jab, while 68 percent have had two doses.
A law making vaccination mandatory for healthcare personnel was to come into effect today, but on Friday the Congress agreed to amend it and defer its application to the end of next month.
The law has been widely criticised and led to several demonstrations against it.