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PARIS: France will extend a health emergency imposed to combat the new coronavirus for another two months until July 24, Health Minister Olivier Veran said on May 2.
A bill says an uprising this month of the emergency, which began on March 24, would be premature and carry the risk of an increasingly intense outbreak.
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“We are going to have to run a long distance race,” Veran said, adding that he knew the French had already been asked for “colossal efforts” in the fight against the virus.
The new emergency bill also establishes quarantine conditions for people who come to France from abroad.
“We are going to have to live with the virus for a while,” Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said after a cabinet meeting.
“Learning to live with the virus, that is what is at stake in the coming months.”
The proposals cover an “information system” for those who have the virus and their environment that would work for up to a year.
The bill will be presented to the Senate on Monday and the National Assembly likely the day after, government spokeswoman Sibeth Ndiaye said. It is expected to become law by weekends.
France is one of the European countries most affected by the virus and lists 24,594 deaths out of 167,346 confirmed cases.
The government has announced the gradual lifting of some closure measures starting May 11, including the reopening of primary schools.
Many stores will also reopen and remote staff will be able to return to offices as France struggles with the economic impact of the coronavirus that has already pushed the country into recession.
In the latest example of the losses involved, the president of national rail operator SNCF said on Saturday that his company had already lost two billion euros ($ 2.2 billion) during the crisis, and that it would likely seek state aid and cut staffing. .
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