Coronavirus: Reconfinement in France from Friday, schools open

France will re-define itself from at least Friday until December 1, with adjustments, President Emmanuel Macron announced on Wednesday. This is to stem the second wave of Covid-19, “which will undoubtedly be more deadly than the first”.

“I decided that it was necessary to find from Friday, the confinement which stopped the virus. The whole national territory is concerned, ”declared the Head of State on Wednesday evening during a televised address.

“This confinement will be adapted on three main points: the schools will remain open, the work will be able to continue, the retirement homes will be able to be visited”, he specified. Because if nothing is done, France risks knowing “at least 400,000 additional deaths” within a few months, he said during a televised address.

“Some advocate doing nothing and assuming to let the virus circulate, this is called the search for collective immunity (…). The scientific council has evaluated the consequences of such an option, they are implacable. In the very short term, this means sorting out patients in the hospital and within a few months at least 400,000 additional deaths. (…) France will never adopt this strategy ”, launched the French president.

As part of this reconfinement, bars, restaurants and “non-essential shops” will close. But schools up to high school will remain open. Only the superior will have to provide online education.

And if the maintenance of schools will allow many parents to better reconcile family and professional obligations, “wherever possible, telework will again be generalized” but compared to the spring confinement, “the activity will continue with more ‘intensity,’ he said.

Likewise, “to prevent the human tragedies that we experienced in the spring from arising, that lonely people at the end of their lives find themselves totally isolated, visits to retirement homes (…) will be authorized this time. , in strict compliance with health rules ”.

On the economic level, the Head of State has promised to come to the aid of small businesses which will have to close “with the support of up to 10,000 euros (10,695 francs) per month of their loss in figure. ‘business”. The partial unemployment scheme will continue and various cash flow measures have been announced.

“A special plan will be made for the self-employed, traders, very small and medium-sized enterprises”, he announced, calling on the French to remain “united and united” despite their “weariness”.

“Like all of our neighbors, we are overwhelmed by the sudden acceleration of the epidemic by a virus that appears to be gaining strength as winter approaches as temperatures drop. Once again, we must have a lot of humility, we are all in Europe surprised by the evolution of the virus, ”said Emmanuel Macron.

“Some countries like Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands took harsher measures earlier than ours. However, we are all at the same point, overwhelmed by a second wave which we now know will undoubtedly be harder and more deadly than the first ”, he insisted.