Lockdown relief for French restaurants

The French government was expected to announce new measures last night to ease the coronavirus lockdown, allowing restaurants in areas where the outbreak remains contained to open as soon as next week.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe was expected to unveil the second phase of his plan to get the country back to work after a meeting with top cabinet members, a government source said, after strict stay-at-home orders were lifted on May 11.

But while restaurants, bars and cafes in “green” zones with limited Covid-19 cases could open on Tuesday, those in “red” zones, including Paris and a large swathe of the northeast, may have to wait until July, the source said.

Cities will also be allowed to reopen parks and public gardens, though in red zones visitors will have to wear masks.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has urged the government to reopen parks for residents who have been cooped up for weeks, not least to avoid the mass gatherings on canals and esplanades as summer approaches, many of which have been dispersed by police.

The number of Covid-19 daily deaths has continued to decline across France, with 66 new fatalities reported on Wednesday night, bringing the total to just under 28,600 since the outbreak began.

That could allow the government to lift restrictions on travelling, with residents now required to stay within 100km of their homes, tourism minister Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne said.

But face masks will remain mandatory on trains, metros and other public transport “so long as we do not have a treatment” against the new coronavirus, environment minister Elisabeth Borne said.

Parents of high school students are also waiting to learn if classes will resume, at least partially, in June, and if the allimportant orals for the finalyear baccalaureate exam will go ahead. Though classes have resumed for some of the younger grades, in practice schools are taking in only a small fraction of students, often only a few days a week, to meet the strict hygiene and social distancing requirements.

The government is eager to revive the economy after a poll showed that 84% of respondents fear a painful recession. The statistics office Insee said GDP probably shrank 20% in the second quarter, making it likely the full-year drop will exceed government forecasts of an 8% slump.