France in national lockdown again from Friday, schools remain open |...

French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Wednesday that France will go into lockdown again from Friday to prevent the spread of the corona virus. The lockdown will last until December 1 at least.

Cafés, restaurants and non-essential shops are closing and travel between regions is not allowed. The schools will remain open, however, they had to remain closed at the lockdown last spring.

People are only allowed outside for “essential activities”, such as shopping and going to work or school. People are also allowed to move outside for a maximum of one hour a day.

After two weeks, the cabinet will consider whether the situation has changed to such an extent that non-essential stores may reopen.

‘Second wave more deadly than first’

Macron warned during his speech that the second wave of the coronavirus will likely be more deadly than the first. “The virus has spread at a rate that even our most pessimistic predictions would not have expected,” said the French president.

Last spring, France was locked for at least 8 weeks due to the corona virus. In France, more than 35,000 people have died who were infected with the virus. In the past 24 hours, 523 new deaths with the virus have been reported, the highest death toll since April.

On Wednesday, 36,437 positive corona tests were established in France.

Germany also partial lockdown

Germany also announced on Wednesday that it would go into partial lockdown again from Monday because of the second corona wave. German catering establishments, gyms and theaters will close for at least a month from Monday. Schools also remain open in Germany.

Chancellor Angela Merkel is afraid that the pressure on hospitals will become too great if nothing is done to stop the spread of the corona virus. “We need to take action now,” Merkel said, saying the situation is “very serious.”