Cannes city council loses court case contesting early Covid curfew
The city council of the southern French city of Cannes has lost a case contesting the legality of its 6pm curfew, condemned by many local politicians and business interests as "counterproductive".
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The court in Nice rejected the Cannes claim that the early-evening curfew was an infringement of the right to circulate and do business, saying the negative impact of the regulation was "neither serious nor obviously illegal".
Another court in northern France has already made a similar decision.
On 2 January, the French government placed 15 administrative departments under a 6pm curfew – two hours earlier than the existing national curfew – due to soaring cases of coronavirus. A week later eight more departments were added to the list.
At the Tuesday hearing, the lawyer representing the city of Cannes and several surrounding areas produced testimony from local business owners, saying the 6pm curfew endangered public health by concentrating people over a shorter period, forcing shoppers to rush to the store straight after work to beat the curfew.
A representative of the town hall said the region's public transport system was suffering from a similar bottleneck effect.
Crisis requires 'solidarity and patience'
The court rejected both claims, saying the measures were necessary and required "solidarity and patience".
The court also noted a study by the Paris Pasteur Institute which suggested that public transport was not a major contributor to overall infection levels.
The regional authority responsible for imposing the early curfew has promised to review the regulations "as soon as there is an improvement" in the local health situation.
The region around Cannes is currently one of the worst-hit areas in France, with the highest infection rate in the country.
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