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French Prime Minister Jean Castex is already confident again: "The climax of the third wave seems to be behind us," he says.
France did not close schools and kindergartens until the beginning of April - before that, classes were practically normal throughout the winter.
The closure was planned for three weeks - and after exactly three weeks, kindergartens and elementary schools will reopen on Monday.
A week later, older pupils are to be given face-to-face lessons again.
For the upper school level, a model with half class sizes is being worked on.
French President Emmanuel Macron has been anti-Merkel for months.
Where the Chancellor warns in Germany, he overhears the warnings in his country and stands for corona measures, which were very cautious over the winter compared to the EU.
It was only three weeks ago that the pressure became so strong that the president acted - and imposed a tough lockdown.
Source: WORLD infographic
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The numbers have fallen since then - but not very sharply.
Instead of a seven-day incidence of around 600 per million inhabitants, it is now still around 400, according to Our World in Data. That is twice as much as in Germany and one of the highest values in all of Europe.
Nevertheless, there is no talk of a change in the lockdown plans, quite unlike in Germany, where the restrictions have been extended again and again.
In Germany the "federal emergency brake" is being pulled, in the neighboring country different rules seem to apply.
The difference to Germany is evident in the schools
When it comes to schools, the French approach differs most from the German one.
For months, like hardly any other country, the government insisted on keeping educational institutions open despite Corona.
A course from which the President is not deviating.
The government argues that the negative effects of school closings, both cognitive and emotional, could be too big.
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In some cases, France simply prioritizes differently.
Open schools are above almost anything in a country that prides itself on its egalitarian education system, including all-day care.
In order not to endanger the opening of daycare centers and schools, the lockdown measures that were also introduced or tightened around three weeks ago will remain in place until at least mid-May.
After 7 p.m. nobody is allowed outside the door.
During the day, you cannot go further than ten kilometers from your home without a valid reason.
A small relief compared to the lockdown in the second wave, when the allowed radius was limited to one kilometer, but a tough limitation compared to Germany.
France, Italy and Austria tighten their corona measures
European countries are reacting to the third wave and the increasing corona numbers.
France is practically closing its country for four weeks.
Italy and Austria are also stepping on the brakes.
Source: WORLD
Except for supermarkets and bookshops, the shops are still closed.
Masks are still required not only in buses and trains, but in all public spaces.
The French are not allowed to go out on the streets without mouth and nose protection - there is only an exception for joggers and cyclists.
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The government asks the population for patience.
The reopening of the shops, some cultural institutions and outdoor areas of the restaurants could also be possible in mid-May.
But Macron has also installed a kind of “emergency brake” here.
The number of new infections every day has to drop to 20,000 for this step - on the German RKI scale that would be an incidence of around 200. France is currently still very far from such values.
Appeals from doctors have so far played a subordinate role.
Leading intensive care physicians in the country have been pointing out the dramatic situation for weeks.
Almost 6,000 corona patients are currently receiving intensive care - around 1,000 more than at the height of the second corona wave in November.
The intensive care units are at their limit.
Sometimes patients are transported with the TGV to other regions where there is still free capacity.
Source: WORLD infographic
So far, France seems to have done little worse with its strategy.
Almost 50 percent more people died per million inhabitants in France than in Germany - but that is almost exclusively due to the fact that France suffered significantly more deaths in the first wave.
Since this winter, the curve that shows how many people have died cumulatively with or from the corona virus has developed almost in parallel.
From January to March, the number of deaths in France was lower than in Germany - although the Federal Republic had a tougher lockdown.
Recently, the trend turned around, now the average number of corona deaths in France over the last seven days is almost twice as high as in Germany.
DW_AP_Corona_Tote_D_FR
Source: WORLD infographic
But President Macron's decision to loosen the lockdown is hardly based on incidence or death rates.
He coordinates with selected cabinet members and, most recently, with some mayors.
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The government believes it has to make concessions too.
Because the population is increasingly showing corona fatigue.
A year ago more than 90 percent supported the measures, now more than half have had enough of them.
And Macron apparently does not want to risk losing further approval.
In the coming year there are presidential elections in France.
The success of his election also depends on the success of his corona strategy.
But even Macron cannot make policy against the objective figures.
How can it be that, despite the high incidence, France does not have significantly more deaths than Germany?
It is not entirely clear.
Another reason could be the recording of the test results.
Professor Hajo Zeeb from the Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology in Bremen points out that in France, unlike in Germany, rapid antigen tests are also included in the statistics.
This would mean that the number of unreported cases is lower in France - and the infection situation in France is not as much worse than the statistics suggest.
So different are the restrictions in European countries
In Germany, there will be no easing before March 7th, despite the low numbers.
What about the rest of Europe?
While the UK is also opting for a hard lockdown, schools and shops are already open in France.
Source: WELT / Nadine Mierdorf