France to reopen bars, cafes and restaurants and lift internal travel restrictions
France is to reopen bars, cafes and restaurants and lift travel restrictions inside the country from next week as part of “phase 2” of its lockdown exit plan, the prime minister announced on Thursday.
It also intends to remove border restrictions with European countries without quarantine measures starting from June 15 except for people coming from countries with their own quarantine regimes, including Britain, where rules will be reciprocal.
Two and a half months after the country entered draconian confinement, Edouard Philippe said France was now entering a new phase in which “freedom is the rule and restriction the exception.”
“We are in a better place than where we expected to be," he added. France's R number - the number of people each infected individual passes the virus onto - is currently at 0.77, meaning the figure has only slightly budged since the country started easing confinement on May 11, when it was 0.6.
As a result, Mr Philippe said he hoped that “travel in Europe will be possible” this summer and further afield "depending on risks" of individual countries. France hopes to reach a common position with all EU countries by mid-June, he said.
In welcome news for French art de vivre, bars, cafes and restaurants will be able to reopen starting June 2 with customers remaining a metre apart in tables of no more than 10 people. Staff will be obliged to wear masks, as will customers when they move around establishments.
In all of “green zone” mainland France, such venues will be open inside and out, except Paris, which remains “orange” due to infection concerns. In the capital, eating and drinking will only be allowed on outside terraces until June 22, said Mr Philippe.
Meanwhile, people will no longer need to stay within 100 kilometres (60 miles) of their homes, he added.
All museums and monuments "across France" will be reopened starting June 2 with masks compulsory.
France’s beaches are to re-open from that date. Sports sites, leisure parks, concert halls and theatres can open on June 2 in green areas and on 22 June in Paris area but social distancing must be respected.
It may be too late for this year’s Cannes film festival, but all cinemas will be open again by June 22.
Holiday resorts will reopen too, from that date and parks and gardens from next week.
However, gatherings of over 10 people in public areas remain banned until June 22, along with collective and contact sports, night clubs, stadiums and race tracks.
A plan to re-open high schools and junior high schools across France will accelerate. Nursery and primary schools have already re-opened in most places, but secondary schools have lagged behind. A level colleges will remain shut, probably until September, however and pupils marked on continuous assessment rather than exams.
Despite the largely good news, Mr Philippe warned that the virus, which has claimed more than 28,500 lives in the country to date, "continues to circulate" with hundreds of people still being treated in intensive care.
With the French showing signs of ill-discipline, notably in Paris, he urged people to respect "the spirit" of social-distancing measures and maintain a strict hand-washing regime.
"Common sense is not very well developed in our country," he noted with a smile.
