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French authorities may put Paris on high virus alert on Monday, which could require the closure of all bars and other new restrictions as Covid-19 cases rise, Health Minister Olivier Veran said Thursday, reports AFP.
The capital and its closest suburbs, which comprise nearly seven million residents, have already exceeded maximum alert thresholds, Veran told a news conference.
“We need a few days to confirm the trends, but if they are confirmed, we will have no choice but to put it on high alert, starting Monday,” he said.
“That would mean that people in Paris and the suburbs would have to drastically limit their social interactions … no more family gatherings, no more nights out and a total closure of bars,” he added.
“We are in a phase where the situation is getting worse.”
So far, only the southern city of Marseille and the Caribbean territory of Guadeloupe have been put on high alert, leading to the closure of bars and restaurants, and the closure of public places such as museums and cinemas, unless safeguards are put in place. strict.
But Veran said five other cities – Lille, Lyon, Grenoble, Toulouse and Saint-Etienne – could also be on high alert next week.
Already in Paris, the bars have to close at 10:00 pm (2000 GMT) and the gyms have been completely closed.
The government has said it will take all necessary precautions to avoid a new state of emergency that would require a widespread lockdown such as the one imposed at the height of the outbreak, from mid-March to mid-May.
