Macron announces closure of French schools and nationwide restrictions

French President Emmanuel Macron announced Wednesday that French schools will close next week and the limited lockdown in place in Paris and other regions will be extended to the whole country to battle soaring Covid-19 infection rates. 

French President Emmanuel Macron during his address to the nation, 31 March 2021. © Élysée

From Saturday night and for the next four weeks, travel restrictions will be imposed across the whole country. Non-essential shops will close in line with measures already implemented in Covid-19 hotspots such as Paris, the French leader said.

On a more optimistic note for the medium term, Macron said some cultural venues and cafe terraces would reopen in mid-May "under strict rules" and that a calendar would be drawn up for a progressive reopening of other facilities.

"Thanks to the vaccine, the way out of the crisis is emerging," he said.

He also announced that the vaccine drive would be open to all those over 60 from 16 April and to those over 50 from 15 May.

The epidemic has killed 95,337 people in France and left intensive care units in the hardest-hit regions at the point of breakdown.

Schools will close for three weeks, including the two-week Easter vacation.

“It is the best solution to slow down the virus,” Macron said, adding that France had succeeded in keeping its schools open for longer during the pandemic than many neighbours.

Hospitals overflowing

At the end of January, the French president bucked the European trend and went against the recommendation of his scientific advisers by deciding that France would not enter a third lockdown.

For a month, the bet looked to have paid off as new cases flatlined at around 20,000 a day in February, with France in a state of semi-openness -- under a night-time curfew, but with shops and schools open.

However, with daily cases having doubled to around 40,000 and hospitals in infection hotspots like Paris overflowing, the tide looks to have turned as medical staff pleaded for tighter restrictions.

The new measures stop short of the full national lockdown imposed in France during the first wave of the pandemic in March and April 2020, when people were allowed out only for essential business or for exercise once a day.

A survey Wednesday by the Elabe polling group for BFM news channel showed that 70 percent of French people supported a strict lockdown in the most affected areas and 81 percent expected it to be announced.

Macron again defended his decision not to lock the nation down in January.

"Many countries decided to lock down, like our German neighbours who have been locked down for four months. Our Italian friends are on their fourth lockdown," he said.

"With our collective choices we gained precious weeks of liberty, weeks of learning for our children, we allowed hundreds of thousands of workers to keep their heads above water, without losing control of the epidemic," he argued.

(with Wires)