French PM presents strategy on ending COVID-19 lockdown

PARIS: French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe will today present the national strategy for emerging from the coronavirus lockdown, his office said. His announcement at the National Assembly will be followed by a debate and a vote. An app for tracing contacts of confirmed cases is also due to be unveiled today and Sunday received approval, albeit conditional,

from the country’s privacy watchdog.

Paris has identified 17 priorities for gradually bringing the country out of lockdown in a “controlled, progressive” manner from May 11. These include reopening schools, companies returning to work, getting public transport back to normal, supplying masks and sanitizer, testing policy and support for the elderly.

However, the plans, drawn up by the government’s scientific advisors, have been questioned in some quarters, notably by schoolteacher unions who expressed doubt as to whether measures such as keeping classes strictly apart were feasible. A dozen ministers will on Monday consult with representatives of local authorities to discuss various options. France has been in lockdown since March 17 and the government faces a delicate balancing act to revive the economy without triggering a resurgence in the epidemic.

Sagging support

A Journal du Dimanche/Ifop opinion poll showed Sunday only 39 percent of people have confidence in the government’s ability to deal effectively with the virus, seven points down on last week. The pandemic has killed 22,614 people in France since the start of March, with 369 new deaths recorded in the previous 24 hours, according to official figures released late Saturday, which saw a significant drop in hospital deaths. Under the government plans, travel within France would be permitted from May 11 - but travel abroad discouraged at least until the summer to minimize the risk of cross-border infection.