[ad_1]
PARIS: French doctors expressed relief, but business owners were desperate as France prepared on Thursday (October 29) to shut down again for a month to try to stem a fast-moving autumn coronavirus outbreak.
Shoppers at a Paris farmers market said Thursday they were ready to restrict their freedoms given the rising number of virus-related deaths and COVID-19 patients filling French hospitals.
The new lockdown is softer than what France saw in the spring, but it remains a shock to restaurants and other non-essential businesses that have been ordered to close their doors in one of the world’s largest economies.
French schools will remain open this time to reduce learning gaps and allow parents to continue working. Farmers markets, parks and factories may also continue to function, authorities said.
French lawmakers will vote Thursday on the new restrictions announced by President Emmanuel Macron, which will take effect at midnight. The lower house of parliament is dominated by Macron’s centrist party, so approval is virtually guaranteed. The prime minister will present the details of the plan to fight the virus on Thursday night.
Dr. Eric Caumes, head of the department of infectious and tropical diseases at the Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital in Paris, said on BFM television on Thursday that the new restrictions are “an admission of failure” of the government’s prevention efforts. He called for stricter restrictions.
The head of France’s main business lobby group MEDEF, Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux, said on Europe-1 radio on Thursday that “closing companies that are not responsible for pollution is a mistake” that could lead many to the bankruptcy. He claimed it was a gift to internet retailer Amazon, “the big winner from lockdown.”
COVID patients now fill 60 percent of French intensive care units, with France reporting tens of thousands of new cases daily. Authorities reported 244 virus-related deaths in a single day on Wednesday, for a total of 35,785 since the pandemic began, the third highest figure in Europe after Britain and Italy.
CHECK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments
Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
