Prime Minister Jean Castex must set to music, Thursday, October 29, in front of Parliament and the press, the reconfinement of France decided by President Emmanuel Macron in order to stem the second wave of the Covid-19 epidemic, "without doubt more deadly "than the first.

The Prime Minister will speak on several occasions Thursday to detail the announcements made by the president on Wednesday evening, first in front of the National Assembly and then in front of the Senate in the afternoon, where the new measures related to containment will be subject to a vote by parliamentarians, before a press conference scheduled for 6.30 p.m.

The Head of State announced, during a televised address, that from Friday, a "confinement" on "the whole national territory" would again be in force to contain the epidemic of Covid-19, of which the first wave had killed more than 30,000 people in the spring.

After speaking to the National Assembly and the Senate, tomorrow I will detail in front of you the new measures that will be put in place by the Government to fight against the second wave of the # COVID19 epidemic.

pic.twitter.com/NqAso0kWId

- Jean Castex (@JeanCASTEX) October 28, 2020

Until December 1 "at a minimum", "you will be able to leave your home only to work, to go to a medical appointment, to assist a loved one, to do your essential shopping or to take the air near your home. ", he detailed, announcing the return of the certificate.

However, with three major changes compared to the spring confinement: nurseries, schools, colleges and high schools will remain open, work can continue, nursing homes and retirement homes can be visited.

At university, online courses will be preferred.

>> To read: "Covid-19: national reconfinement in France from Friday, schools remain open"

Jean Castex will appear before parliamentarians on Thursday in order to submit these new provisions to a vote, even if his result will not be binding on the government.

After developing the measures taken in front of deputies and senators, the Prime Minister will specify in front of the press the modalities of this new restrictive device put in place by the executive, which will be reassessed "every two weeks".

"It is not in the shops that the contamination occurs"

The population had already been confined for 55 days in the spring, with severe movement restrictions and the closure of schools, non-essential businesses and borders.

Jean Castex will have to face reactions from all sides, which have not failed to flow following the announcements made by Emmanuel Macron.

For Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux, president of Medef, "this reconfinement will cost the country between 50 and 75 billion euros of GDP and cause considerable economic and human damage".

The "boss of the bosses" believes that "it is not in the shops that contamination is done but in the private sphere and yet it is they who are penalized. I understand their dismay and their anger."

>> To read also: "Reconfinement and Covid-19: the double economic penalty?"

Remained open in recent weeks despite the curfew, bars and restaurants will have to lower their curtains from Thursday midnight, and deplore being "singled out" by the voice of Roland Héguy, president of the Union des métiers des hospitality industries, the main union in this sector.

"We have the impression that we are the ones who are spreading the epidemic," he told AFP.

"From this weekend, thousands of traders will no longer have a single euro in revenue but still fixed charges. 30% of our businesses risk not surviving."

Continuation of professional sports competitions

For the rest of the population, work "can continue" during confinement: "You can go out to work", assured the president, but "wherever possible, telework will be generalized again".

"Whatever we do, nearly 9,000 patients will be in intensive care in mid-November, almost all of French capacity," warned Emmanuel Macron, echoing the strong concerns expressed by experts in recent weeks.

Resuscitation capacities will be increased to 10,000 beds, ie a doubling of the initial number.

The number of patients there rose to 3,036 on Wednesday, or more than half of the 5,800 resuscitation beds available throughout France.

>> To see: Emmanuel Macron's speech

The first details were provided overnight from Wednesday to Thursday by the Minister for Sports in the National Assembly, where she announced that professional sports competitions could continue during this new period of confinement.

"High level athletes and professional athletes will be able to continue training. And they will also be able to continue to compete since travel for professional reasons is authorized," said Roxana Maracineanu.

If the reconfinement is planned throughout the national territory, "adaptations" are however planned for the Overseas, according to the words of Emmanuel Macron.

They should also be specified Thursday by the government.

With AFP

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