More Lockdown Loosening

Posted on 11/12/2020 by

31 Comments

France had initially hoped to lift many of its lockdown rules next Tuesday thereby enabling people to visit friends and family over the holidays, followed by a re-opening of bars, restaurants and gyms on 20th January. However all this depended on cases falling to 5,000 a day, a target that the government now judges impossible.

Consequently, PM Jean Castex announced yesterday evening that while some restrictions will be lifted, others will remain and the 9pm curfew will be lowered to an 8pm one. Nonetheless, Castex cautionned:

We are not yet at the end of the second wave, and we won’t be at the goal we set of 5,000 new cases per day by 15th December.

We know that the gatherings over the holidays present a risk. For all these reasons we need to keep our guard up, stay vigilant. . . and let everyone benefit from the holidays, but without risking provoking an epidemic resurgence.

From 15th December……..

  • Lockdown will be lifted, and trips will no longer require an attestation (permission form).
  • A curfew from 8pm to 6am will be introduced
  • Cinemas, theatres, museums and other cultural centres, which had been scheduled to re-open on 15th December, will stay closed until at least 7th January
  • Bars, restaurants and gyms will remain closed until at least 29th January, as planned
  • Rules on religious services remain the same (restricted numbers)
  • The curfew will be lifted on 24th December, but not on 31st as had previously been suggested

The prime minister called on everyone to continue to work from home if possible, stay home as much as possible and limit social gatherings.

Travel between regions – and in and out of France – will be allowed from 15th December. I foresee we may pop across the border into Italy for some dolce vita.

The curfew will be strictly enforced and only the following reasons will be accepted for being out between 8pm and 6am

  • Working or travelling to and from work
  • Essential family reasons (not including family visits)
  • Medical reasons
  • Providing aid to a person in need
  • Walking the dog (although trips out for exercise are not allowed during curfew)

An attestation will be needed for all trips out of the home during curfew hours and people found out at night without a form risk a €135 fine.

On the subject of Christmas, the prime minister urged people to keep gatherings small. France’s recommended limit is six adults. Furthermore, he warned too many get-togethers could lead to a third wave of cases – and a third lockdown in January.

One person is still hospitalised every minute with Covid and while case numbers are decreasing, the decrease is tailing off.

Health minister Olivier Véran warned that although cases were no longer rising, a resurgence could happen very quickly. He said there were two major risk factors; the cold damp weather which has driven everyone indoors and the end-of-year holidays which will see an increase in socialising.

The message is quite clear, we still need to take care. We’ll just happily carry on in our two-person bubble for however long we have to.

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31 Comments on “More Lockdown Loosening”

  4. Well. I am living in Brittany, with less cases of covid than in the rest of France. Hospitals welcome patients from other towns.
    I must say that :
    – No attestations needed during the day after December 15th ( and I have never been controlled ! )
    – For religious services, rules have changed thanks to the Catholics asking this changes in Justice ‘( Conseil d’Etat ) : one person every two seats, and a wide range of seats every two ranges…
    – Restaurants – every kind of restaurants -many are very well organized, and offer ” Restaurant à la maison” , very good menus to buy at the restaurant and carry home, or are delivered at home.
    “Restaurants étoilés” do that too !
    amitiés 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

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