Macron: France to Ease Coronavirus Restrictions during Christmas

President Emmanuel Macron announced that France will ease the restrictions taken to fight Coronavirus as the second wave started to pass.

As non-essential shops will open, so people can see their friends and family during Christmas.

However, bars and restaurants would remain closed until January 20, 2021.

Macron tweeted that the cafes and restaurants affected by restrictions will receive 10,000 euros from the solidarity fund or a payment of 20% of their revenue.

On Tuesday evening, Macron announced on TV that France passed the peak of the 2nd wave of Coronavirus infections.

The president continued that the flourishing vaccine trial gave a beam of hope and that France will start vaccinating citizens either by the end of December or the beginning of Jan, prioritizing the most vulnerable ones.

Also, he said that if the infection rate remains low by Jan 20, cafes, restaurants, and universities will open again.

On the other hand, if the situation worsens, Macron said that he would look into measures to avoid the third wave.

He stressed: “We must do everything to avoid the third wave, do everything to avoid a third lockdown."

Moreover, he stated that the lockdown would be replaced by a curfew between 21:00 and 07:00, except for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

France has reported more than 2.2 million cases since the start of the outbreak, of which 50,000 have died.