French President Emmanuel Macron
PARIS, April 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) — French President Emmanuel Macron announced he was extending a virtual lockdown to curb the coronavirus outbreak until May 11, adding that progress had been made but the battle not yet won.
Acknowledging his country had not been sufficiently prepared early on to face the challenges posed by the outbreak of the new coronavirus, Macron said the unprecedented restrictions put in place were showing results.
“The epidemic is starting to slow down. The results are there,” Macron said in a televised address to the nation. “Thanks to your efforts, every day we have made progress.”
“But our country was not sufficiently ready for this crisis. We will all draw all the consequences,” Macron said.
Macron’s prime time address came as France ended a fourth week under lockdown, with residents ordered to stay at home except to buy food, go to work, seek medical care or get some exercise on their own.
Macron said that schools and creches would progressively re-open from May 11, but restaurants, hotels, cafes and cinemas will have to remain shut longer. Universities are unlikely to resume any classes or testing until the summer, he added.
Older and vulnerable people will have to continue to stay home and the government will provide face masks to others when they venture outside, the French president said.
“For the most exposed workers and in certain situations such as public transport, their use could become systematic,” Macron said. “May 11 will be the start of a new phase. It will be progressive and the rules can be adapted according to our results.”
Meanwhile, thousands of shops have reopened in Austria, as it seeks to ease restrictions brought in to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
Garden centres, DIY stores and small shops can open but with strict rules on social distancing.
In Italy, where over 20,000 people have died in the pandemic, a limited number of shops and businesses have been allowed to reopen.
But some of the worst-hit regions have decided to hold off.
Lombardy and other regions in the north will maintain their measures for longer.
After five weeks under lockdown, shops selling books, stationery and clothes for babies and young children can reopen their doors but with strict rules on customer numbers and hygiene.
Meanwhile, Denmark has said it intends to ease its lockdown faster than originally planned.
The European Commission has urged EU countries to co-ordinate with each other to relax measures gradually.
Fears of a deadly resurgence An internal document sent by the Commission to EU governments said that even phased measures would “unavoidably lead to a corresponding increase in new cases”.
Lifting restrictions had to wait for the spread of the virus to be reduced for a significant period, it said, with enough capacity in intensive care units to cope with a second surge in cases and increased testing, along with mass antibody tests.
Businesses, shops and schools should lead the way, followed by limited reopening of restaurants, bars and cafes. — NNN-AGENCIES