Paris (AFP)
After the announcements, place for the explanation of text: Prime Minister Jean Castex must detail Thursday the containment relief measures exposed by Emmanuel Macron and which still present many areas of uncertainty.
The ritual is now well underway: first an address by Emmanuel Macron, followed Tuesday evening by nearly 30 million French people, to unveil the terms of a reduction in confinement and "set a course".
Then instructs the ministers to specify "the reopening measures and the protocols which will prevail".
During his press conference Thursday at 11:00 am, Jean Castex will be surrounded by five members of the government, including Olivier Véran (Health) and Bruno Le Maire (Economy) and Roselyne Bachelot (Culture), to provide this after-sales service.
The main lines of the executive's plan are known.
The loosening will be done in three stages.
After weeks of controversy, small businesses will be able to reopen on Saturday with a reinforced health protocol.
Services in places of worship will again be permitted and it will be possible to travel, with a certificate, within a radius of 20 km around his home, for three hours.
The Prime Minister "will come back to this rule of 20 km and 3 hours to remind that this does not mean that you have to go to one or the other" and increase the interactions, explains his entourage.
Provided that the health situation continues to improve, cinemas, theaters and museums will be able to reopen in turn on December 15 when a national night curfew will replace the containment in force since October 29.
The improvement in the situation on the epidemic front, observed since mid-November, was confirmed on Wednesday with the number of hospitalized patients now below 30,000.
The pressure continues to drop also in intensive care.
But more than 16,000 new positive cases were confirmed on Wednesday, well beyond the threshold of 5,000 cases / day set by Emmanuel Macron to continue to loosen the noose.
- Aid and flexibility -
If the framework is posed, the questions remain numerous and many sectors are still awaiting directives.
Others are still betting on easing restrictions.
The French Bishops' Conference assured Wednesday that the limitation to a maximum of 30 people per religious office, including in cathedrals, would be reviewed.
The ski resorts, taken aback by the presidential announcements seeming to rule out a reopening for Christmas, also still hope to be able to influence the government's position.
While Jean Castex spoke Monday of a "final response on December 5", a final arbitration is not expected Thursday, however.
The Prime Minister is also expected to clarify the situation for amateur sport.
Tuesday, Emmanuel Macron only mentioned the resumption of "extra-curricular activities", outdoors from Saturday and indoors from December 15.
Olivier Véran should, for his part, return to the "massive" vaccination campaign which should start at the end of December / beginning of January, a crucial issue on which the executive is expected at the turn, after the failures on the masks and the tests.
"Vaccines and the issue of isolation will be discussed," according to those around Jean Castex.
"But we will not have to wait" for additional details compared to the statements of Emmanuel Macron who launched the debate on more restrictive conditions of isolation of positive cases by calling on Parliament to take it up.
On the other hand, there will be more details on the measures intended for young people, the precarious and the intermittent promised by the Head of State as well as on aid intended for companies.
Emmanuel Macron announced Tuesday that for administratively closed businesses, could obtain aid corresponding to 20% of their annual turnover.
Other sectors, partially closed, could also be concerned, with modulated aid, we advance in the entourage of the Prime Minister.
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