A last-minute meeting of France’s Defence Council has concluded with no return to lockdown, although additional constraints were put in place.
The French government had been discussing all week whether to inflict another lockdown, as Covid cases proceed to climb.
However, after a Friday evening meeting of the Defence Council, which makes the final decision on health restrictions in France, Prime Minister Jean Castex proclaimed no lockdown – for now.
The extra restrictions announced by the PM are;
- A ban on all travel in and out of France from outside the EU, with an exception only for vital travel from midnight Sunday (0:00am).
- All arrivals into France from within the EU must present a negative Covid test (previously this rule had only applied to arrivals by air and sea). Cross-border workers are exempt from this requirement
- From Sunday, all non-food shopping centres larger than 20,000 square metres will close
- The protocol on home-working will be reinforced so that everyone who can work from home does so
- Police will step up checks on compliance with the curfew and crackdown on illegal parties and restaurant-opening.
The current rules including the 6 pm curfew will remain in place.
