France toughens curfew after 70,000 die
CITIES, towns and villages across France were left empty as a tougher coronavirus curfew came into force at the weekend.
A nationwide ban on leaving home between 8pm and 6am was extended by two hours – now starting at 6pm – after the virus spread ‘worsened’.
Covid-19 has killed 70,000 people in the nation – the world’s seventhhighest death toll. And from today, anyone travelling to France from outside the European Union will have to show a negative test result and selfisolate for a week upon arrival.
Prime minister Jean Castex said: ‘These measures were necessary given the situation. While worsening, it remains relatively better than many countries around us, but I took them because the context, notably with the evolution of the virus, means we have to have utmost vigilance.’
Elsewhere in Europe, Italy’s health ministry yesterday reported 377 coronavirus-related deaths in the previous 2 hours and 12, 1 new cases – down from Saturday’s 7 deaths and 16,310 infections. Italy has registered 82,177 deaths from Covid since it came to light last February – the secondhighest toll in Europe, after the UK, and sixth-highest worldwide.
Meanwhile, Austria has announced an extension of its lockdown, which was due to end this Sunday, until February 7. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has told residents to stay two metres apart rather than one, and to wear full protective masks rather than fabric face coverings to go to shops and ride on public transport.