Emmanuel Macron sips coffee as France reopens cafes

Restaurants, cinemas and museums welcome the public in first stage of government’s reopening plan

Restaurants and cafes reopened in France on Wednesday following a six-month shutdown.

President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Jean Castex enjoyed a drink on a cafe terrace as lockdown rules, brought into place to curb the spread of Covid-19, were finally relaxed.

Cinemas, museums and theatres can reopen, while restaurants can serve customers outside in the first stage of the government’s plan.

The reopening ends the second-longest shutdown of eateries in Europe, after Poland.

The first phase of a three-part plan to reopen the country entails the nightly curfew beginning at 9pm instead of 7pm, while restaurants can seat diners at only half of their outdoor capacity – with no more than six people allowed at one table.

Cinemas can reopen at 35 per cent capacity.

French President Emmanuel Macron and French Prime Minister Jean Castex have coffees at a cafe terrace in Paris, as restaurant and cafe terraces reopen at 50-percent capacity. AFP

Emmanuel Macron leaves after his coffee in Paris. Groups of up to six people can now meet outside cafes and restaurants. AFP

People enjoy a breakfast at a cafe in Strasbourg, eastern France. AP Photo

A waiter serves coffee during the reopening of terraces in Montpellier. EPA

Mathys Marquez takes a selfie as he has breakfast with his cousin Juna Marquez at a cafe in Bayonne, southwestern France. AP Photo

Customers have breakfast as they sit on a terrace at the Vieux-Port in Marseille, southern France. AFP

A waiter makes sure tables are correctly distanced in Montpellier. EPA

People queue outside the Louvre Museum in Paris, as museums reopen in France today as part of an easing of the nationwide lockdown. AFP

France has recorded more than 108,000 deaths from Covid-19 – one of the highest rates in Europe – but is now witnessing a reduction in the infection rate and critical care admissions.

Health Minister Olivier Veran cited a steady rise in the country's vaccination rate as another driving force behind the easing of restrictions. Around 40 per cent of its adult population has had at least one dose.

The next stage of the plan is scheduled for June 9, with indoor service allowed in restaurants and the curfew beginning at 11pm.

The final step, planned for June 30, will lift all remaining social restrictions.