France could be added to the UK’s “red list” due to the spread of Covid, Boris Johnson has said.
The prime minister also revealed on Wednesday that truckers delivering supplies across the channel could have to show proof of a negative test.
“We can’t rule out tougher measures and we will put them in if necessary. If it’s necessary to bring in testing, we will do so,” he said.
Currently hauliers travelling from the UK to France have to show proof of a negative test, but the same does not apply in the other direction.
Johnson said the UK “depends very largely” on cross-channel trade flows for the “food in our shops and medicines we need”
But he added: “We will take a decision, no matter how tough, to interrupt those flows if we think it is necessary to protect public health and stop new variants coming in. And it may be that we have to do that very soon.”
Johnson was taking questions from senior MPs on the Commons liaison committee.
“In terms of putting France on the red list,” he said. “It is something that we will have to look at.”
It would mean people arriving in the UK from France would have to quarantine in government-approved hotels.
Johnson also acknowledged things were “looking difficult on the continent” when asked about when international travel could resume.
The prime minister has previously warned the third wave of coronavirus that has hit Europe will “wash up on our shores”.