France extends COVID-19 lockdown due to new cases

President Emmanuel Macron stated that a partial lockdown is already in place in Paris will be extended over to the entire country with the closure of schools and restrictions in place.

Friday, 2nd April 2021

President Emmanuel Macron stated that a partial lockdownn already in place in Paris will be extended over to the entire country with the closure of schools and restrictions in place. It means a nightly limit and a ban on going more than 10 kilometres from home. The measures are part of the work to fight the third wave of COVID-19, with the people seeing tens of thousands of cases each day and numbers of deaths. Also read: Russia and China using vaccine as propaganda: France In a televised speech on Wednesday night, in which he warned “the epidemic is accelerating", Macron stated colleges, schools, nurseries, and creches would be closed for three weeks. The curfew running from 7 pm to 6 am remains in place Prime Minister Jean Castex announced on Thursday in parliament that "the third wave" of COVID-19 had landed in France. Also read: Poland, France imposes new lockdown to halt COVID-19 spread He said that the state would better support the curfew and a ban on groups larger than six meetings up in public places. He also said they would prohibit the misuse of alcohol in public spaces. Meanwhile, many opposition politicians studied the government for waiting until the situation had worsened to increase the number of intensive care beds and issue tougher measures. Also read: France closes borders to non-EU countries Paris hospital officials warned last week they would have to start refusing patients in need due to lack of space, a situation which provoked this response from government spokesman Gabriel Attal: “One thing is clear: France will not refuse care for any sick patients. Choosing cases is not an option.” Parts of France already under a partial lockdown The French president has been criticised for his objection to issuing tougher virus measures as infections have increased in the country due to the spread of more transmissible variants. Also read: Restaurants to remain closed in France till February The total number of COVID-19 victims in intensive care in France rose past 5,000 on Tuesday, the first time in 11 months, the numbers being so high. Macron on Wednesday said the products of hospital ICU beds would be increased “in the next days” from the current 7,000 to 10,000. Therefore, the new measures mark a departure from the previous tactic of targeting limitations to specific areas being from high case numbers.