Non-essential shops and restaurants will be shut
PARIS, April 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) —France has entered its third national lockdown as it battles a surge in cases of Covid-19 that threatens to overwhelm the country’s hospitals.
All schools and non-essential shops will shut for four weeks, and a curfew will be in place from 19:00 to 06:00.
On Friday, the number of seriously ill Covid patients in intensive care units (ICU) increased by 145 – the biggest jump in five months.
President Emmanuel Macron has promised more hospital beds for Covid patients.
France is currently battling a peak of about 5,000 Covid patients in ICUs. On Friday, the country recorded 46,677 new cases and 304 deaths.
As well as the restrictions that came into force on Saturday, from Tuesday people will also need a valid reason to travel more than 10 km from their homes.
President Macron had hoped to keep France’s coronavirus case under control without having to impose another lockdown.
However, the country has struggled with an EU-wide delay in the vaccine rollout, as well as several new strains of the virus.
In GERMANY, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called on people to play their part and get vaccinated.
Speaking in a television address to the nation on Saturday, he said the country was in the middle of a third wave and that it faced more restrictions.
ITALY also entered a strict three-day lockdown on Saturday in order to try and prevent a surge in Covid-19 cases over the Easter weekend.
All regions are now in the “red zone” – the highest tier of restrictions – as the country records about 20,000 new cases a day.
Non-essential movement is banned, but people are allowed to have an Easter meal in their homes with two others. Churches are also open, but worshippers are being told to attend services within their regions.
The Italian government also announced it was placing 70,000 extra police officers on surveillance nationwide, in order to enforce the lockdown rules.
VATICAN CITY: On Sunday, for the second year, Pope Francis delivered his Easter message to an empty St Peter’s Square.
Different regions will then remain in either “orange zone” or “red zone” restrictions until the end of the month. — NNN-AGENCIES
