The French government is adjusting its policy to moderate the increase in the number of corona patients due to a ‘third wave’. President Emmanuel Macron will address the population about this at 8 p.m.
That is after deliberation with the ‘health defence council’. According to French media, the government seems to be taking strict measures because the president himself will speak. For minor adjustments to the existing restrictions, a speech by Prime Minister Jean Castex would suffice.
For example, it could be decided to close educational establishments again. The “health defence council” could go one step further and, in addition to closing schools, also introduce a hard lockdown with only essential shops open and the population also under a kind of house arrest during the day.
The French would then have to leave the house day and night with a document to indicate that they mustn’t be at home. In principle, the measures are taken for the nineteen departments that are already subject to stricter measures, but more departments could be added.
Measures are also expected to spread the number of seriously ill corona patients. Then patients could be relocated to another region where fewer corona patients are being treated against their will. The government may then offer financial support to family members to visit the patients.
France has 65 million inhabitants and, with 5,000 seriously ill corona patients, has a relatively large number of people with Covid-19 in intensive care.