The quarantine is extended until May 11th

The French President Emmanuel Macron has spoken this evening in front of the Nation.

As the epidemic is not under control yet, the strictest lockdown will continue until May 11th. After this date, the lockdown will be eased, and a plan will be set out to progressively wind down restrictive measures.


On this date, if the situation allows it

• There may be some new rules.
• The goal is to allow a maximum of staff to go back to work. Rules will be fixed to protect each member of staff.
•  Schools will open again progressively from the crèches to the lycées, with new rules to protect teachers and children. Regarding universities and other post graduates studies, there will be no physical courses until September. The government will give some precisions regarding exams.
• All public places like restaurants, bars, hotels, cinemas, theaters, museums will remain closed. Big festivals or any event with a lot of participants will not be able to take place at least until July 15th.
• The President asks vulnerable people to continue the quarantine beyond May 11th, at least to start with.

Afterwards, a new organisation will take place

• Tests will be used much largely. Every day, already as from now, the number of tests are increasing. The tests are first done on the medical staff, the elderly people and the vulnerable people. On May 11th, not all the people will be tested - it would have no meaning-, but the country will have the capacity to test every person presenting symptoms. People who test positive for the virus will be quarantined and followed by their doctor.
• An application to track if we have been in contact with someone contaminated. This application will be used on a voluntary basis and will remain based on the anonymity. The innovation is worked on with other European countries.
• Until further notice, the borders with non European countries, will remain closed.
• The government will organize with the local mayors that each citizen gets a general-use mask. In some situations, like public transport, the mask may become mandatory

The government will present within 15 days, how it is going to work more precisely after May 11th. Regular communications will be done to present the measures taken fitting the situation at that time.

Today, it is not possible to say, when it will be possible to live the same life as we did before.
Not many people have had this virus, therefore we are far from what the experts call the collective immunity. We will probably need a vaccin to be able to get over this virus.

The main goal of the government is to protect everyone of us from this virus.