France to ease lockdown from Monday

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TLTP
ISLAMABAD
France would start to ease restrictions on movement from next Monday through “a very gradual process” which would stretch over several weeks at least to avoid a resurgence of COVID-19, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe confirmed.
“Following the data of the past few days, the gradual lifting of the confinement can be started on May 11. This is a new step in the fight against the epidemic,” Philippe announced.
“We must be very vigilant because an eventual resurgence of the virus will be very difficult for our country. That’s why we opted for a progressive process,” he stressed.
At a press conference alongside ministers of economy, health, transport, labor, interior affairs and education, Philippe added that the exit from the lockdown would be differentiated and vary among regions.
“The good news is that we are able to validate de-confinement throughout the metropolitan territory. The less good news is that certain departments (in the country) have worse results than expected,” he said, adding that “the country is cut in two with the virus circulating more quickly in some regions.”
Under the new rules, France maintains restrictions on public gatherings of over 10 people and keeps borders closed until further notice. Mask-wearing will be mandatory on public transport, while religious ceremonies will be permitted from June 1 if social distancing rules are respected.
“We are constantly looking for the right balance between the essential resumption of family, economic, cultural and social life and the necessary respect for all the precautionary measures to prevent the epidemic from starting again and protect the French people,” Philippe said.
The prime minister noted that a national lockdown could be re-imposed if the pace of the virus circulation accelerates again.
“In three weeks, at the end of May, we will know exactly where we are. If the number of infections stays low, we can move to a new phase. But, if they don’t change, if they increase, we’ll have to consider future confinement measure,” he added.