Curfews, tests, aid ... the main announcements of Emmanuel Macron
Emmanuel Macron announced new measures to fight Covid-19 this Wednesday, October 14, 2020 Christophe ARCHAMBAULT / AFP
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Faced with the resurgence of Covid-10 cases in France, Emmanuel Macron announced this Wednesday, October 14 a curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. in Ile-de-France and in eight other metropolises.
The president also advised not to gather more than six in the private circle and to resort to telecommuting three to four days a week when possible.
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Emmanuel Macron said it: the French will have to get used to living with the virus "
until the summer of 2021 at least
".
Faced with a health situation that he considers "
worrying
", the Head of State has therefore decided to toughen measures aimed at stemming the epidemic.
Here are the details of its announcements.
• Curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
This is the measure taken strongly by the President of the Republic.
In Ile-de-France and eight other metropolises, it will now be prohibited to be in public space between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. without a valid reason, such as being a night worker or having a medical emergency.
Offenders are liable to a fine of 135 euros, or even 1,500 in the event of a repeat offense.
The measure comes into effect from Saturday, October 17 at midnight and it will last at least four weeks.
In addition to the Paris region, the metropolises of Lille, Grenoble, Lyon, Aix-Marseille, Montpellier, Rouen, Toulouse and Saint-Etienne are also affected by this measure which should be extended until December 1, if Parliament l ' authorized.
• No restrictions in transport
Despite the ban on movement between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., there will be no restriction in transport to allow people with exceptions to be able to move.
"
There are people who will continue to work at night, or in the evening, or in the early morning
."
“
We have not decided to reduce travel between regions,
” added the Head of State.
• Teleworking encouraged
Unlike the lockdown period last spring, public services will remain open and teachers will be in classrooms.
The government wants to allow everyone to be able to continue working normally.
Emmanuel Macron, on the other hand, did not ask for a generalization of teleworking, but when possible, he recommends two to three days of telework per week.
In the eyes of the Head of State, this system must remain flexible and be negotiated, in particular to avoid isolating certain employees.
We must continue to have a social life, and at work, we know how to protect ourselves, he said.
• No more than six at the table
During his speech, the president asked the French "
at most not to be more than six at the table
" in private meetings, in order to slow down the second wave of the coronavirus epidemic.
He recommended to "
put on the mask as much as possible, including with family or friends
" to prevent the virus from spreading in the private sphere.
• A new testing strategy
Faced with tests that take a lot of time, Emmanuel Macron recognized "
real difficulties on the subject
".
He promised a new "
strategy
" to "
drastically reduce delays
" and stressed that this would involve new techniques, such as antigenic tests, which have been authorized, and the possibility of self-testing.
• Aid for sectors particularly affected by the curfew
Emmanuel Macron has promised aid for sectors particularly affected by traffic restrictions.
He suggests “
rescheduling
” to go to the theater or restaurant earlier.
But, if you have to be home from 9 p.m., not sure that during the week it will be very easy after work.
Some establishments will therefore no doubt decide to close because opening it could cost them more than leaving the curtain down.
Professionals in the independent hotel and catering industry had even warned that a curfew "would
condemn thousands of establishments to bankruptcy
".
To help them cope, full short-time working will be reactivated for the catering, events, culture and sport sectors.
The repayments of loans guaranteed by the State will potentially be delayed up to one year with a staggering over five years.
Professionals in these sectors should be consulted.
Local consultations will be launched on Friday in each of the cities and additional mechanisms could be put in place.
• Exceptional aid for the most vulnerable
Recipients of active solidarity income (RSA) and personalized housing assistance (APL) will be able to receive exceptional assistance of 150 euros within the next six weeks.
An amount to which will be added an aid of 100 euros per child.
But Emmanuel Macron does not lose his course: increasing, transforming, overall social minima is not on the agenda.
• No curfew for professional sport
Professional athletes will benefit from an exemption in Ile-de-France and in the eight cities where a curfew has been declared, but the competitions will be behind closed doors if they take place after 9 p.m., announced the Ministry of Sports.
"
There will be a possibility of exemption, with or without an audience depending on the time of day,
" the ministry was told.
New measures by Emmanuel Macron in the face of Covid-19 - Special edition
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Coronavirus
Health and medicine
Emmanuel Macron
France