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PARIS (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron announced tough new measures on Wednesday to curb the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic.
Below are the highlights of what he said in a televised address to the nation:
“The virus is circulating at a speed that not even the most pessimistic forecasts had anticipated … Like all our neighbors, we are submerged by the sudden acceleration of the virus, by a virus that seems to gain strength as winter approaches and the temperature.
“We are all in the same position: invaded by a second wave that we know will be tougher and more deadly than the first. At this stage, we know that whatever we do, almost 9,000 patients will be in intensive care by mid-November, which it’s almost all French capacity. “
“If we do not brutally stop this contamination today, our hospitals will soon be invaded, without us being able to move people from one region to another because the virus is everywhere.”
“I have decided that we have to return to the blockade that stopped the virus … This applies to all of our national territory, except for some modifications for the regions and territories that are abroad.”
“Just like in the spring, we will be able to leave home alone to work, go to a doctor’s appointment, provide assistance to someone close to you, make essential purchases and exercise close to home.”
“This lockdown will be different in three main ways: schools will remain open, work will continue, nursing homes and nursing homes will be able to be visited.”
“My dear compatriots. We have all been surprised by the sudden acceleration of the virus. All of us. While I know the tiredness and the feeling that this will never end that affects us all, we must, whatever happens, stay united and together and not give in to the poison of division … I have faith in us, in you, faith in our ability to overcome this challenge … We will overcome it if we are united, and we are united. ”
(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta, Michel Rose, Elizabeth Pineau, and Christian Lowe; Edited by Lisa Shumaker)
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