Edouard Philippe announces the closure of all businesses – THOMAS SAMSON / AFP
- France officially enters stage 3 of the coronavirus epidemic this Saturday, passing the bar of 4,500 confirmed cases and 91 deaths.
- In this context, the Prime Minister announces the closure of all “non-essential” businesses: cafes, restaurants, cinemas, etc.
- On the other hand, food stores, pharmacies, banks, tobacconists and even petrol stations remain open and busy.
- In addition, the first round of municipal elections, this Sunday, is well maintained.
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The decision fell, unprecedented in the history of the country. The Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced this Saturday evening the closure at midnight and “until further notice” of all “places receiving the public not essential to the life of the country”.
A decision made in front of the lack of “discipline” of the French and the doubling of the number of cases observed in 72 hours. This is how France entered this Saturday at stage 3 of the epidemic of
coronavirus, meaning that the virus is now circulating all over the country.
Restaurants, bars, nightclubs, cinemas are therefore expected to close their doors tonight. Shops are also affected, with the exception of food stores, pharmacies, banks, tobacconists or petrol stations, said the Prime Minister.
Elections maintained, “essential” businesses open
On the other hand, the first round of municipal elections will take place on Sunday “as planned”, on the condition of “strictly respecting the instructions for distancing and prioritizing the elderly and frail”, added Edouard Philippe, asking “calm” and “civility ” to the French. However, he did not explicitly advance on the holding of the second round next Sunday, March 22.
If any other form of assembly is also prohibited, “all services essential to the life of our citizens will obviously remain open,” said the Prime Minister.
Public transport continues to operate
If “urban transport will continue to operate”, the government urges the French to limit “their travel and in particular to avoid inter-urban travel”. “I say it seriously: we must all show more discipline in the application of these measures,” insisted Edouard Philippe, who consulted this Saturday the Scientific Council made up of ten experts.
In particular, restaurants, cafes, cinemas, discos and shops will be closed. However, food stores and markets, pharmacies, petrol stations, banks, tobacco and press offices will remain open. #COVID ー 19 https://t.co/6tVktHy7JK
– Edouard Philippe (@EPhilippePM) March 14, 2020
“What we have to do at the moment is simply to avoid gathering as much as possible, limit friendly and family gatherings, use public transport only to go to work and only if the physical presence at the work is essential, only go out of your home to do your essential shopping, do some exercise or vote, “he said.
4,500 known cases, including 300 serious
Justifying this decision, the Prime Minister notably deplored having “seen too many people in cafes, restaurants”. “I would be happy in normal times, but for a few weeks that is not what we have to do,” he added, noting that “the first measures taken to limit gatherings were imperfectly applied”.
Just after the Prime Minister’s announcements, Director General of Health Jérôme Salomon announced that 830 new cases of patients infected with the new coronavirus had been detected in France, for a total of 4,500 since the start of the epidemic which caused 91 dead in the country so far. These are 12 more deaths from the previous day, and “more than 300 serious cases” are in intensive care, he said. Among them, more than half concern patients under the age of sixty.
