Paris (AFP)

Faced with the continuous improvement of its epidemic indicators, France is freed from the curfew on Sunday, a new step in a return to the life before after the abandonment this week of the mask outdoors, and we will be able to celebrate Monday an almost normal Music Festival.

The race to get home and avoid a fine is over: for the first time since October 30, 2020 (excluding Christmas), the French will be able to enjoy their evenings as long as they want, from Sunday, 10 days earlier. provided that.

France was one of the last countries to maintain a curfew with Italy and Greece.

First introduced at 9 p.m., it was gradually brought forward to 6 p.m. in mid-January before being pushed back to 7 p.m. in March, 9 p.m. in May and 11 p.m. on June 9.

Its lifting was announced by the government on Wednesday, as the end of the wearing of the mask outside since Thursday which, if it could be assimilated by the opposition to a "gift" for the regional elections on Sunday, is justified by an improvement faster than "hoped" for the health situation, according to Prime Minister Jean Castex.

"With 2,000 to 3,000 cases per day, it is no longer the virus that stalks us, it is us who stalk it", assured the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, to the Journal du dimanche, betting on the multiplication " collective self-test "screening this summer and" retrospective tracing, Japanese style ".

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And the vaccination campaign is continuing, Jean Castex, who himself received his second dose of AstraZeneca vaccine on Saturday, targeting 35 million French people fully vaccinated at the end of August, against more than 18 million on Saturday.

- vigilance -

Vigilance remains however required, as the health protocols for public places and any event until June 30.

With mini-concerts authorized in bars and restaurants, the Fête de la musique, created in 1982, will find familiar tunes on Monday, even if it is not yet the world before.

Wearing a mask is still recommended outside during concerts and gatherings of more than ten people on public roads are still prohibited, such as impromptu concerts.

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"We all know that we have to go gradually" commented Friday on Franceinfo Jean-Michel Jarre, who will play at the Elysee Palace on Monday, alongside Cerrone, noting "a progress compared to what we could fear".

In addition, for any event of more than 1,000 people, the health pass is compulsory.

The maximum authorized tonnage indoors or outdoors always remains at 65% within the limit of 5,000 spectators, always in a seated configuration.

Faced with these constraints, several communities, such as the city of Strasbourg, however preferred to cancel the planned festivities, regretting a "late announcement".

Last year the rules were even stricter.

But regroupings could not be avoided as on the quays of the Saint-Martin canal in Paris.

- celebrate after Portugal-France -

"On the history of the epidemic, there have been relatively few clusters identified outside", reassured epidemiologist Arnaud Fontanet on Thursday, even if it is difficult to link contamination to this type of gathering, because "it's a lot of mixing of people who don't know each other".

"That does not prevent, even if it is wishful thinking, to keep the physical distance", pleaded the member of the Scientific Council, aware that "tell people not to sing on the day of the music festival and not to be glued to each other, it will not be easy ".

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Supporters of the Portugal-France Euro football match will also be able to take advantage of the lifting of the curfew, which was less and less respected, on Wednesday.

But the real return to the night before will go through the reopening this summer of discotheques, in complete shutdown for 15 months, at the heart of a meeting between President Emmanuel Macron and professionals on Monday.

The government is working with the sector on a "health protocol", "a specific ventilation system" and perhaps a health pass, according to Olivier Véran.

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On the front of the epidemic, the Delta variant, responsible in particular for a rebound in contaminations in the United Kingdom, is still very "minority" in France, but in "increase" in surveillance data, according to Public Health France.

The authorities will not hesitate to apply more coercive isolation measures to recalcitrant contaminated people so as not to "take the risk of starting a new wave", assures Olivier Véran.

© 2021 AFP