France to reopen cafes, end domestic travel limit
PARIS: France announced the long-awaited nationwide reopening of bars, restaurants and cafes from June 2, albeit with restrictions, and lifted limitations on domestic travel in time for the summer holidays.
In the capital Paris, where the risk of coronavirus infection remains higher than in most of the rest of the mainland, only outside terraces of eating and drinking establishments can reopen to clients, said Prime Minister Edouard Philippe.
Announcing details of the second phase in a gradual lifting of France’s strict coronavirus lockdown, he also said people would no longer be confined to within 100 kilometres of their homes.
“Freedom will be the rule and restriction the exception,” said Philippe, adding that the French could ‘live a life which is almost normal’ under the new rules.
The country was ‘in a better place than where we expected to be’ after the first two weeks postlockdown, with the epidemic now ‘under control’.
After a meeting of top cabinet members to agree on the next phase, the premier said more schools would start reopening.
The government credits its lockdown – which lasted from March 17 to May 11 – with saving tens of thousands of lives.
But it came at the cost of what Philippe described as an ‘historic recession’, with nearly a million additional unemployment claims filed in April.
Gatherings of more than 10 people in public places will remain prohibited until June 21, and the wearing of a mask on public transport obligatory. The coronavirus has claimed 28,662 lives in the country to date.— AFP