France imposes third national lockdown amid rising COVID-19 cases

Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday announced that a 'limited lockdown' will be imposed across the nation to curb the spread of coronavirus disease (Covid-19), according to news agency AFP. All schools will remain closed as part of this phase of restrictions, he said.

Macron, who has been severely criticised for going against the European trend in January and not imposing a third lockdown in his country even as the rising cases left hospitals in hotspot cities overwhelmed, addressed the nation on Wednesday and urged people to adopt a strategy "that aims to contain the epidemic without shutting ourselves in".

"We gained precious weeks of liberty, weeks of learning for our children, we allowed hundreds of thousands of workers to keep their head above water, without losing control of the epidemic," he argued in favour of not locking down in January.

Even as he ordered in his Wednesday address that schools be shut down, travel restrictions across France be imposed and non-essential shops around the country be closed for the next four weeks, he did not ask people to avoid socialising completely and gave a go ahead to them for travel between regions during the upcoming Easter holidays.

"From Saturday evening and for a period of four weeks, travel will be limited everywhere in France to a radius of 10 km from home for daily outings. During curfew hours from 7pm to 6am, or for trips exceeding 10 kilometres, a certificate will be required," he said in his televised address to the nation.

Underlining the importance of the coronavirus vaccine, he credited it for an emerging way out of the pandemic. "We will do everything to vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate! Without rest, without holidays. Saturday and Sunday just like in the week," he said.

More than 53,000 fresh cases of Covid-19 in France were announced on Wednesday, but that number covered two days as no numbers were made public on Tuesday. The country also recorded 304 new deaths, bringing its total toll to 95,667.