Covid-19: France says goodbye to curfew

Three days after the end of the obligation to wear a mask outside, the French will find, Sunday, June 20, an almost normal life. The curfew, introduced eight months ago, is lifted from 6 a.m. (04 a.m. GMT), in view of the drop in contamination.

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 this Sunday, 10 days earlier than expected.

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, to 9 p.m. in May and then to 11 p.m. on June 9.

Its lifting was announced by the government on Wednesday, as was the end of wearing the mask outside since Thursday. Compared by representatives of the opposition to a “gift” for the regional elections, this measure is justified by a faster than hoped-for improvement in 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, in the Journal du dimanche, relying on the multiplication of “collective self-testing” this summer and “retrospective tracing, Japanese style”.

The vaccination campaign continues. Jean Castex, who himself received his second dose of AstraZeneca vaccine on Saturday, set a target of 35 million French people fully vaccinated at the end of August – around 18 million on Saturday.

Compliance with health protocols

Vigilance remains however required, with the maintenance of health protocols for public places and any event until June 30. Mini-concerts will be authorized in bars and restaurants on the occasion of the Fête de la musique which will find familiar tunes on Monday, even if it is not yet the world before.

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

“We all know that we must go gradually,” commented on Franceinfo, Jean-Michel Jarre who will play Monday at the Elysee Palace 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 fixed 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, preferred to cancel the festivities, regretting a “late announcement”.

Last year, the rules were stricter, but regroupings could not be avoided as on the quays of the Canal Saint-Martin, in Paris.

“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”.

“This does not prevent, even if it is wishful thinking, to keep the physical distance”, pleaded this 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 “.

A curfew lifted for Portugal-France

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 – President Emmanuel Macron will meet with professionals in the sector on Monday. The government is working on the development of a “health protocol”, “a specific ventilation system” and perhaps a health pass, according to Olivier Véran.

On the epidemic front, 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.

With AFP