Like in other countries in Europe, the coronavirus epidemic keeps on spreading in France. After saying a new lockdown will be implemented, Emmanuel Macron has confirmed he still hopes French people can "celebrate Christmas and the Holidays" with their families.
This is the deadline the head of State gives to the French: holding on during the new lockdown until Christmas. Of course, the idea is to see the health situation get better in order to put the virus aside and celebrate the Holidays with their families without having to worry about the virus too much.
As for Health Minister Olivier Véran he warned the people. In an interview with the Journal du Dimanche, released on November 1, the Minister said Christmas "will not be a normal holiday".
Once again interviewed on the matter on November 3 when visiting a warehouse of the food banks in Gennevilliers, the Health Minister said "Christmas will occur in joy" adding the virus "will still be around".
As for New Year's Eve on December 31, Olivier Véran already said it was "difficult to plan big nights". This November 3, he confirms: "Can we serenely consider by a few weeks or months we can all meet in closed places with a crowd?" he wondered before answering: "We perfectly know the health situation won't allow us to do so. I can think of New Year's Eve for instance, we can easily say there will be no big rooms with thousands of people". He yet added it will "not prevent to led celebrations, get ready, celebrate, meet again, while being cautious no one makes the virus spread".
Choosing to place the country into a new lockdown was no easy call. Yet, for the past days, more and more countries in Europe are headed back into lockdown such as Belgium, the United Kingdom, Austria and Portugal.
By the way, this is one of the arguments given by some economists and politics. “If we pull together over the next six weeks, we will have the opportunity to celebrate Christmas in a meaningful way” Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin said to justify the re-containment of the country.
As for German Chancellor Angela Merkel, she called her fellow citizens to show collective responsibility to save the Holidays. “Difficult months are ahead of us. How winter will be, how our Christmas will be – that will all be decided in these coming days and weeks, and it will be decided by our behavior” she said.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also addressed the Holidays earlier this week. “All I can say to millions who are wondering the same question is that we will do our absolute best to try to make sure we get life back to as close as possible for Christmas”, he said.
Back in late September already, Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo – 2019 Nobel Prize winners in economy – pitched in for a re-containment prior to Christmas: “nationwide lockdown during the Advent period from December 1 to 20 to avoid a catastrophic resurgence of Covid-19 in elderly people after Christmas”.
