To each wave its lockdown? As there are almost 20,000 cases per day, the possibility of a third lockdown is getting closer. Several doctors consider this scenario unavoidable, including the Haute Autorité de Santé.
On Friday January 28, a health Defense Council has been convened in emergency. At the end of it, Jean Castex announced he will speak in a matter of minutes to present new restrictions. Even though these measures aim at preventing a third lockdown, the Prime Minister reminded the situation remains fragile and the coming days are decisive.
The idea of a new lockdown remains, even though the government tries to intend to call it at a very last resort. These measures seem limited faced with the epidemic wave and the French are wondering how the situation will evolve.
The government says they are still waiting for curfew outcomes, before making wider measures. These results will be know in the evening of Saturday January 30th. Will Emmanuel Macron or his government to address the people in the coming days? No news has leaked so far, and people have to wait for a few more days.
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Another worrying factor: the latest coronavirus variant detected in the United-Kingdom now present in France. As it is 70% more contagious than the strain we have known so far, it led to an exponential growth in cases in South-Eastern England, including London. These areas are now back in quarantine. Without forgetting the South-African variant feared by scientists, spotted in the country, especially in Ile-de-France.
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During his latest public addresses, Jean Castex and his ministers guaranteed a third lockdown was not under way for now, and other solutions will be implemented before. The government prefers implementing curfew - brought forward to 6 p.m. nationwide, starting Saturday January 16, 2021 for "at least two weeks".
But the government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on Januayr 27 that curfew at 6 p.m. had a relative impact on the spread of the virus. He went on to say that "different scenarios" were now studied including a "very strict lockdown".
A new lockdown is coming then, but with three scenarios considered by the government. "Lessons from the first two lockdown have been drawn. We shall go towards a hybrid pattern, without changing our theory" someone close to Macron told BFMTV. The goal is to head to an easier lockdown for the youth, already highly psychologically impacted by this health crisis. "Finding a new balance for the youth, this is the idea" someone from the president's entourage told AFP.
And what about schools in the event of a new lockdown? Will they stay open or would they have to shut? Are February break extended? So far, no decision has been made.
Several questions remains unanswered such as the closure or not of "non-necessary" stores, as well as limited trips throughout the country.
Covid and health restrictions: the 3 scenarios considered by the government in the face of the 3rd waveFurthermore, Olivier Véran says that they "will not wait for March to take action" in the event curfew fails. But when will President Macron speak? When will the government make a call?
"We won't wait for March to take action" in the event curfew fails, Olivier Véran saysNonetheless, a third lockdown is no unique situation: across the world, several countries have already opted this solution to take control over the coronavirus epidemic again. This is the case in Germany as the country may stay in lockdown until April. In Europe, more and more restrictions are instated.
Coronavirus: the situation in the world as of Tuesday March 2, the hardest-hit countries
