In a televised address to the nation, French President Emmanuel Macron says the country is ”overwhelmed” by a second wave of infections that will undoubtedly ”be more severe and more deadly than the first.”.
The Republic is now closing down again.
According to Macron, around 9,000 patients will likely need intensive care by mid-November, which corresponds to almost the entire country's total capacity.
Hard-hit France was holding its breath ahead of a speech in which Macron was to present new restrictions to slow the spread of the virus. The republic is suffering from sharply rising infection rates, a healthcare system on the verge of overload, and the highest daily death toll since April.
New restrictions will come into effect from Friday and will remain in effect until December 1. People will have to stay at home except to buy essential food, receive medical care, or take advantage of a daily hour to exercise.
It will also be permitted to go to work if the employer deems it impossible to perform work duties from home.
Most schools will remain open, Macron further announced.
”The virus is spreading at a speed that even the most pessimistic forecasts had not predicted,” he says.
”We are all in the same situation, overtaken by a second wave that we know will be more severe and more deadly than the first.”
The new package of measures is at the same level as during the eight weeks of lockdown in France last spring. The restrictions then had an effect, but as soon as they were eased, the spread took off as people once again gathered in bars, restaurants, universities, schools and so on.
The National Assembly will hold a vote on this new lockdown on Thursday.
Around 3,000 people are in intensive care for COVID-19. In total, the country has around 5,800 ICU beds.
Over 35,000 people have died from the viral disease, making France the seventh deadliest country in the world.
When the situation was at its worst in March and April, France had to set up field hospitals and evacuate hundreds of patients to Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Austria.
The severe economic consequences of the spring lockdown have meant that the government has long hesitated to introduce a new one – instead, local nighttime curfews have been introduced in Paris and other cities with high infection rates. However, developments in recent days have made new, tougher measures necessary.
Source: TT
