France will return to nationwide lockdown this week to try to contain the Covid-19 epidemic that is again threatening to spiral out of control, French President Emmanuel Macron told the nation on Wednesday.
The new measures, which come into force on Friday, will mean people have to stay in their homes except to buy essential goods, seek medical attention, or use their daily one-hour allocation of exercise.
People will be allowed to go to work if their employer deems it impossible for them to do the job from home, and unlike the first lockdown in March, most schools will remain open, Mr Macron said.
"The virus is circulating at a speed that not even the most pessimistic forecasts had anticipated," he said.
"Like all our neighbours, we are submerged by the sudden acceleration of the virus.
"We are all in the same position, overrun by a second wave that we know will be harder, more deadly than the first."
France enforced an eight-week lockdown in the spring, when hospital admissions and deaths reached a peak.
The lockdown was effective at containing the epidemic but it started spreading again after it was relaxed on May 11, and people started gathering again in classrooms, universities, bars and restaurants.
France on Tuesday reported 523 new deaths from coronavirus over the previous 24 hours, the highest daily toll since April when the virus was at its most severe.
Doctors have warned that intensive care units could become overwhelmed.
France's death toll, at almost 36,000, is the seventh highest in the world, data from Johns Hopkins University shows.
This month, Mr Macron announced a night-time curfew in Paris and other big cities, but officials this week acknowledged that measure was not enough to bring down infection rates.
_______________
-
Protesters gather for a flashmob demonstration to demand emergency income and financing in front of the Milan branch of the Bank of Italy. EPA -
Owners of restaurants and event organisers gather to protest at rally in front of the colosseum in Verona. EPA -
Italian chefs and restaurant owners gather near place settings positioned on the street as they participate in a protest at Pantheon Square in Rome. AFP -
People take part in a protest organised by fairs and events workers in Warsaw, Poland. EPA -
A sticker reading "Hospitality not at closing" is pictured during a protest in Barcelona, Spain. Reuters -
A Guy Fawkes mask hangs on a wing mirror as taxi drivers protest in Barcelona, Spain. Reuters -
Owners of bars and restaurants in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, protest against the new restrictions imposed to stop the coronavirus spread. EPA -
Artists and employees of events companies protest at Alexanderplatz in Berlin, Germany. Getty Images -
Protesters demonstrate in support of the event sector in Berlin, Germany. Reuters -
Demonstrators protest against the Czech government's measures in Prague, Czech Republic. EPA -
The Czech Republic recorded a rise in Covid-19 cases, resulting in the government imposing a series of new restrictive measures. EPA
