Prime Minister Jean Castex announced Thursday evening the re-containment of 16 departments to fight the "third wave" of the Covid-19 epidemic in France.
In the territories concerned, travel will be limited, some businesses closed, and a half gauge imposed in high schools.
Find all the new measures.
THE ESSENTIAL
"The situation is deteriorating, and now our responsibility is that it does not escape us," Prime Minister Jean Castex said Thursday evening.
Confirming rumors already circulating for several days, the head of government announced the establishment of a four-week confinement in the territories hardest hit by the Covid-19 epidemic: the whole of the Island- de-France and Hauts-de-France, but also the Alpes-Maritimes, Seine-Maritime and Eure, a total of 16 departments.
This confinement will come into effect from Friday evening, midnight.
Information to remember:
16 departments will be reconfigured from Friday evening, midnight
Schools will remain open in the territories concerned
Across the country, the start of the curfew goes from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Vaccination with AstraZeneca serum will resume on Friday
Travel limited to 10 kilometers
"This is a third way that we are adopting, a way which should make it possible to slow down without locking up", explained the Prime Minister.
This new confinement therefore does not repeat the instructions from the first, last spring, or those from the second, this winter.
Thus, outings, in the 16 departments affected by new restrictions against Covid-19, will be limited to "10 kilometers around home", with a certificate.
Interregional travel will be "prohibited".
"It will be possible to leave home to go for a walk, to get some fresh air or to play sports, during the day, without any time limit but with a certificate and on the condition of staying within a radius limited to 10 kilometers around your home. ", declared the Prime Minister during a press conference.
"For the inhabitants of the territories concerned, inter-regional travel will also be prohibited, except for compelling or professional reasons," he added.
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Closure of essential shops
"Regarding businesses, as in March and November, only businesses selling basic goods and services will be authorized to open; this notion of basic goods will be extended to books and music, which will allow it is up to booksellers and record stores to remain open, "explained Jean Castex.
Schools remain open, high schools switch to half gauge
"In the 16 departments affected by these new measures, we will maintain the bias of leaving schools open," said the Prime Minister.
"Kindergartens, elementary schools, colleges therefore function normally; for high schools which are already for more than two-thirds, in half-gauge, they will switch entirely in this operation", detailed Jean Castex.
Curfew delayed to 7 p.m. in metropolitan France from Saturday
The curfew will be delayed in mainland France from Saturday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., in particular to take into account the change to summer time, announced Jean Castex.
"This adjustment (...) will concern all the departments and not only" those "subject (to) reinforced measures" to slow down the circulation of the virus, specified the head of government, for whom "this choice to restrict less the possibilities of leaving one's home must however be accompanied by real vigilance "on the part of the population.
France to resume AstraZeneca vaccinations on Friday
France will resume its vaccination program against the Covid-19 epidemic on Friday afternoon with the AstraZeneca serum, Jean Castex announced Thursday after the conclusions of the European regulator deeming this vaccine "safe and effective".
Friday morning, the High Authority for Health "will update its recommendation regarding the AstraZeneca vaccine, so that we can immediately resume the vaccination campaign from tomorrow afternoon," said the Prime Minister during a press conference, specifying that he would be vaccinated himself on Friday.