Nationwide lockdown measures will come into force in France on Saturday to tackle a third wave of coronavirus, French President Emmanuel Macron has announced.
The measures, which will be in place for at least a month, will include the closure of all schools and non-essential retail for at least three weeks. In addition, people will be banned from travelling more than 6 miles from their home without a good reason for a month and a 7pm-6am curfew will be in place.
The measures are stricter than past UK lockdowns, but not as right as the initial French lockdown.
The new lockdown marks the extension of regional restrictions that had already been in place in a number of parts of the country. On Tuesday, France reported another 30,702 cases of COVID-19 and 348 new deaths linked to the virus.
While coronavirus cases have been decreasing in the UK, they have been on the rise in a number of European nations, prompting tougher restrictions. The number of people vaccinated against the virus in Europe is also much lower – only around 12% of the population in France has been vaccinated.
In a televised address to the nation on Wednesday, President Macron warned the public that “we will lose control if we do not move now”.
It is understood that the French Parliament will vote on the measures on Thursday before they are due to come into effect.
