New Delhi (NVI): The French government has imposed a month-long lockdown on Paris and 15 other regions of northern France as the country fears the third Covid-19 wave.
The measures will be in place for at least four weeks and will come into effect from midnight on Friday.
These measures will not be as strict as the previous lockdown, Prime Minister Jean Castex said, with people allowed to exercise outdoors.
Castex said a “third wave” of infections in the country was looking increasingly likely.
France has recorded more than 35,000 new infections within the past 24 hours.
Under the new measures, non-essential businesses will be forced to close but schools will remain open. People will be allowed to exercise outdoors within 10km (6 miles) of their home and are not allowed to travel to other parts of the country unless they have a valid reason.
Those in the affected areas will have to fill out a form to explain why they have left their homes.
Furthermore, France’s nationwide curfew will also remain in place. However, it will begin an hour later at 7 pm, taking into account the long hours of daylight.
In addition to this, France will also resume vaccinating using the AstraZeneca jab following the EMA’s announcement that it was fit for use. Castex said he would be getting the vaccine straight away to prove that it was okay.
France had suspended the jab after a number of cases in Europe of blood clots developing after the vaccine was administered.
-CHK
