PARIS | The French are invited Tuesday to deconfin cautiously before Christmas to avoid a new peak of contamination during the holidays, at a time when the restrictions are easing slightly except for the restaurant and culture sectors, angry.
• Read also: All developments in the COVID-19 pandemic
Prime Minister Jean Castex in particular suggested to parents not to send their children to school on Thursday and Friday, before the Christmas holidays, to limit the risk of contamination a few days later.
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“Whenever possible, especially if we have to receive vulnerable people at Christmas (…) if you can not take your children to school on Thursday and Friday (…), you do it”, the prime minister said on Europe 1 radio, also recommending to self-confine a week before end-of-year family and social gatherings.
On Tuesday, France officially emerged from its second confinement, now replaced by a night curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
But life is far from completely returning to normal, as restaurants and cultural venues keep doors closed until further notice.
And Jean Castex was not downright optimistic on Tuesday, warning that he could not “guarantee” that cafes, bars and restaurants could reopen on January 20 as initially planned.
“It will depend on how we have spent the holiday season”, which may “be conducive to an accelerated circulation” of the virus if “we were not collectively responsible”, added the Prime Minister.
The same goes for the culture sector where theaters, cinemas and museums remain closed: the health “results” are “not yet there” for a recovery.
The world of culture which denounces a killing is organizing several rallies throughout France on Tuesday to protest against these decisions.
In an attempt to calm the discontent, Mr. Castex confirmed that an “extension of 35 million euros” would be granted to the culture sector and that a review of the situation would take place on January 7, to see if a reopening is possible On the hotel and catering side, several thousand professionals gathered in Paris on Monday to shout “Let us work”.
More than 58,000 people have died since the start of the epidemic in France and more than 10,000 new cases are still recorded on average every day in the country.