Coronavirus: France closes shops, restaurants, tells people to stay home
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People sit on the terrace of a cafe in Bordeaux on March 14, 2020.
PHOTO: AFP
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PARIS (REUTERS) - France will shut shops, restaurants and entertainment facilities from Sunday (March 15) with its 67 million people told to stay home to help fight the rapid acceleration of the coronavirus in a country where the number of cases has doubled in 72 hours.
The government had no other option, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe told a news conference after the public health authority said 91 people had died in France and almost 4,500 were now infected.
"I have decided to close all non-essential locations, notably cafes, restaurants, cinemas, nightclubs and shops," he said. "We must absolutely limit our movements." Exceptions to the shop ban will include food stores, pharmacies, petrol stations and tobacconists.
However, Philippe said Sunday's local elections would go ahead under strict sanitary conditions. This confirmed President Emmanuel Macron's decision to press ahead with them even after Macron announced the closure of schools from Monday and advised people over the age of 70 to stay indoors.
"We didn't expect it to be so quick," said Jason Holt, 28, manager at the Cafe Montparnasse. "We're a little shocked because we're going to find ourselves without work."
"I have decided to close all non-essential locations, notably cafes, restaurants, cinemas, nightclubs and shops," he said. "We must absolutely limit our movements." Exceptions to the shop ban will include food stores, pharmacies, petrol stations and tobacconists.
However, Philippe said Sunday's local elections would go ahead under strict sanitary conditions. This confirmed President Emmanuel Macron's decision to press ahead with them even after Macron announced the closure of schools from Monday and advised people over the age of 70 to stay indoors.
"We didn't expect it to be so quick," said Jason Holt, 28, manager at the Cafe Montparnasse. "We're a little shocked because we're going to find ourselves without work."
Philippe said the government had been left with no choice because too many people were still out in the streets and not sufficiently applying recently announced measures, including keeping a safe distance from each other.
That, he said, was helping accelerate the spread of the virus.
Highlighting just that, many bars were still packed after Philippe's announcement and some reported a surge in attendance after the closure order became public, as revellers turned out for a last drink despite recommendations to avoid crowds.
That, he said, was helping accelerate the spread of the virus.
Highlighting just that, many bars were still packed after Philippe's announcement and some reported a surge in attendance after the closure order became public, as revellers turned out for a last drink despite recommendations to avoid crowds.
"I WILL SURVIVE"
At one bar on Rue Oberkampf, a popular nightlife area, people were linking arms singing Gloria Gaynor's "I will survive".
"We were a little depressed because we didn't expect it, but we said okay, let's do our last night today," said 18-year-old student Nadia Abd-Ali, sipping a cocktail with her friend.
"We were a little depressed because we didn't expect it, but we said okay, let's do our last night today," said 18-year-old student Nadia Abd-Ali, sipping a cocktail with her friend.
The government wants to avoid a situation where hospitals are overwhelmed by the number of serious cases. Neighbouring Italy's health system has been severely strained by the coronavirus outbreak there.
"I am conscious of the efforts and sacrifices that we are asking, but I have faith that the French people will have the capacity to understand the seriousness of this moment," Philippe said.
"I am conscious of the efforts and sacrifices that we are asking, but I have faith that the French people will have the capacity to understand the seriousness of this moment," Philippe said.
