France hopes to end its two-month lockdown from May 11, with a “deconfinement plan” to be implemented in two stages over several weeks. Firstly, with the end of the lockdown and the reopening of department stores and schools, at the beginning of June through restaurants, bars, cafes and museums.
But the end of the two-month national lockdown, in force since March 17, is conditional: first, on maintaining an infection rate below 3,000 new cases per day until that date; Second, the population will have to not follow the existing quarantine rules. If other people start flouting the decree before May 11, they will have to stay longer, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe warned. This resolution depends to a large extent on collective civility, he said. announced the measures on Tuesday afternoon. ” The viral chain will have to be replaced by a chain of solidarity. The field and individual duty must be shared by all citizens.
The end of the lockdown on May 11 will be reassessed a few days in advance. As for the openings planned for June, the government will review the scenario at the end of May to make sure things are going in the right direction. The return to general life will affect the country and will take much longer in the hot zones of the virus, designated as “red departments”, than in those with low transmission threat, which classifies them as “green”. Many decisions about quick opening dates are left to individual mayors.
The French Prime Minister says that the lockdown “was an effective instrument”, but that it is “not sustainable”. 60,000 lives have been saved thanks to quarantine measures, but now is the time to save the economy. ” We’re going to have to live with Covid-19,” he said. The coronavirus has killed another 23,293 people in France, according to the latest fitness statistics.
“We want to move slowly, cautiously and decisively towards a slow exit from lockdown,” Philippe said. The plan has three main components: protect, control and isolate. ” From the moment we are no longer confined, compliance with the “barrier gestures” France will carry out 700,000 checks during the week of May 11; People who test positive will have the option to isolate at home or in special gyms.
So, if all goes well, here are some of the measures proposed for the end of the lockdown:
Starting May 11:
All shops, large and small, can reopen, as well as markets, libraries, small museums and cultural centres. Cafes, bars and restaurants will remain closed until June.
Public transport will gradually resume, but will remain reduced, with around 70% of Paris metro and RER services. Masks will be mandatory on public transport and in taxis. They will also be “preferable” elsewhere: About $20 million will be distributed to pharmacies through May 11.
Facilitation of home confinement Individual freedom of movement will make great strides. Instead of 1 hour of recreation a day, within a 1-kilometer radius around the house, other people will now be able to get up to 100 kilometers away from your home. That said, the government is urging other people to keep running away from home as much as possible.
Parks and Gardens: They will open in “departments where the virus is not actively circulating. “
What about the blocking authorization form?The document needed to validate each outing, from the purchase of food to the exercise of the last weeks, will be eliminated, except for trips of more than one hundred kilometers. In the latter case, the form will be mandatory to justify an essential trip in France or abroad, for professional, family or physical fitness reasons.
From 2 June:
Cafes, restaurants, and bars can open, as well as cinemas, theaters, and major museums such as the Louvre in Paris.
The beaches will open in June, but respecting a strict social distance. Swimming will be allowed and sunbathing will be prohibited in some areas. For example, the mayor of Biarritz, Guillaume Barucq, told France Soir that he plans to follow the Australian example. where other people can swim, surf, walk in the water. . . But don’t sunbathe or build sandcastles: they should leave the post after they have practiced their physical activity.
As for the summer holidays, it’s too early to make a decision, the government says.
During sporting events, fans will have to wait until September to see stadium matches resume (note that the Tour de France was also postponed until late August or early September).
Large cultural events with more than 5,000 participants will also be banned until September.
While most French people were on the edge of their seats when the end of the lockdown, now in its 43rd day, was announced, there was good news and bad news. Undoubtedly, some expected more. Ultimately, the value of the freedoms regained will largely depend on how other people behave over the next few days.
People wearing face masks at the Châtelet les Halles metro station in Paris. The French confinementArray. . The coronavirus continues on its 43rd day on April 28, but public transport will be one of the elements that will return to the generality from May 11. , when others will be allowed to leave their homes and schools and department stores will open. (Photo by Stéphane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
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