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The French already knew there was a possibility of a curfew in Paris and other major cities, but still hearing it from the president, Emmanuel Macron, came as a shock, says the British broadcaster BBC.
From 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., anyone walking down the street in nine cities, including Paris, Marseille and Lille, must present force majeure or they will be fined. The measure covers more than 22 million inhabitants, almost a third of the country.
Among other measures, it was also forbidden for more than six people to enter the house (with the exception of large families), something that the Prime Minister had said days ago that he could not do.
The measure goes into effect this weekend and will last at least four weeks. Macron warned that it could continue if infection numbers don’t drop. Wednesday was the third time in six days that France had more than 20,000 infections. The goal said Macron, is to reduce the number of new daily cases to around 3,000.
Meanwhile, French police searched the home of Health Minister Olivier Véran and health officials as part of an investigation into how the government handled the pandemic, which also includes Prime Minister Jean. Castex and its predecessor, Édouard Philippe.
On Wednesday, Germany also announced that bars and restaurants in high-risk areas will have to close earlier. Despite having a comparatively better situation, the number of new cases continues to grow, reaching 6,638 new infections last Thursday, a record since the start of the pandemic.
Chancellor Angela Merkel met with federal government leaders to decide on additional restrictions, the first time since March that there has been a face-to-face meeting. “Let’s see if what we decide today is enough,” Angela Merkel said after a nine-hour meeting. “My concern has not disappeared.”
In other major European cities, bars, cafes and restaurants have very short hours or are closed: the Netherlands, for example, closed restaurants and cafes as part of a partial lockdown; and in Catalonia, bars and restaurants will not open for two weeks from this Thursday.
In London, pubs They will remain open, but the authorities advise against the use of public transport, as well as the meeting of people who do not live in closed environments. Therefore, there is an expectation that these places will not have many customers.
In Ireland, the Government has decided simple prohibition of home visits, excluding cases of those who will care for children or for compassionate reasons.
