5/29/2023 0 Comments France lockdown![]() ![]() ![]() French health minister Olivier Veran defended a decision to hold off. In February the government once again faced growing calls from members of the medical community to impose a national lockdown. “Even if the path is narrow, you have to take it.” “When you’re French, you have everything you need to succeed providing you dare to try,” Macron is reported to have told ministers in January. The 43-year-old has been accused of reverting to monarchical ways by going against the advice of his Scientific Council, resisting to pressure from his ministers and showing a reluctance to change course. “Macron is hedging his bets and there are human lives at stake,” communist MP Fabien Roussel told France 5.Įmmanuel Macron at a joint press conference with the Israeli President in Paris on Thursday. With France passing the grim milestone of 90,000 dead, the stakes are high for Macron. Macron has favored regional weekend lockdowns instead, such as in the north and the French Riviera, a nationwide curfew has been in place since mid-December and restaurants and bars have been closed for five months.Īs neighboring countries have imposed stricter restrictions to fight the spread of new variants, Macron’s less severe approach has been met with support by some and incomprehension by others. The French strategy spearheaded by President Emmanuel Macron – who is up for re-election next year – has so far consisted of resisting a third nationwide lockdown because of the impact it would have on mental health and the economy. “Our conviction is that if new measures are necessary, we need to keep the same coherence, and prefer a pragmatic, proportionate, territorialized approach,” Castex said, adding that the coronavirus pandemic is “accelerating considerably” and it was “becoming clearer and clearer that it’s a third wave.” But people are being encouraged to work from home. on Friday.Įssential businesses will remain open as will schools and universities. ![]() However the night time curfew – currently in effect from 6 p.m. The new restrictions allow individuals to go outdoors to walk or exercise but they must have an approval “certificate,” and they cannot go further than 10km from their home or travel between regions without a valid reason. We know that it is in that kind of situation that the virus prospers,” he added. “This is clearly about allowing for people to be outside, but not to go to friends’ homes to have a party or meet with many people without social distancing or a face mask. “Our choice, to be less restrictive on possibilities to leave one’s home, will need to go hand in hand with real caution,” Castex said. The new measures go into effect Friday at midnight and will last at least four weeks but are less restrictive than measures imposed in March and November of last year. Even more worrying, he said, is that the people being hospitalized with the disease are younger and healthier compared to previous waves. The French Prime Minister also said that one person is entering intensive care every four minutes with Covid-19 in the country. Jean Castex said France recorded 35,000 new infections Thursday, a rise of 23.6% in the last week, and that the variant first identified in the UK accounts for three quarters of cases. France will impose new coronavirus restrictions in 16 regions, including the greater Paris and Nice areas, the country’s prime minister announced Thursday in an attempt to contain a surge of Covid-19 sweeping the country. ![]()
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