PARIS: French Prime Minister Jean Castex confirmed on April 22 that domestic travel restrictions will be lifted on May 3 and that secondary schools will reopen that same day, the first steps toward the country exiting its new COVID-19 lockdown.
He also mentioned some businesses, including bars, restaurants, and cultural venues might reopen around mid-May as the COVID-19 situation is improving, three weeks after France entered the one-month lockdown, its third to cease the spread of the virus.
“The third wave of the disease is behind us,” Castex informed a news conference, adding that France’s vaccination campaign was going well and that 20 million individuals will have had the first shot by mid-May.
New infections rose by 34,318 on Thursday, a 4.25 percent increase versus the same day last week, the lowest rise since March 13. The seven-day moving average of daily new cases stood at 31,532, falling under 32,000 for the first time since Mar 23.
The number of individuals in intensive care units with COVID-19 nonetheless rose by 22, at 5,981 individuals, the second-highest total of 2021 and a figure that indicates France’s hospital system is still under intense pressure.
