Deconfinement: Reopening of Schools, Terraces, Shops … The Calendar is Becoming Clearer

General News
Reopening of schools, terraces, shops ... The calendar is becoming clearer for deconfinement

EPIDEMIC: As in the Autumn, the lifting of the restrictive confinement measures should be done very gradually.

  • Despite a still fragile decline in the epidemic, the executive is maintaining its goal of gradually lifting the restrictions in May, removing the 10 km limit on May 3rd and reopening the terraces in mid-May.
  • The overall number of hospitalized Covid-19 patients recorded a slight decrease, with 30,954 patients identified and the number of patients in intensive care, also in very slight decline, remained above 5,900 people.
  • Emmanuel Macron should speak by the first week of May and himself announce these modalities of reopening.

Almost four weeks after the entry into force of the restrictive measures for the whole of France, the executive is now looking at the deconfinement schedule, despite a still fragile decline in the coronavirus epidemic.

Back to school, reopening of terraces, cultural places and non-essential shops, end of travel restrictions… we take stock of the main dates of the deconfinement calendar.

26th April

Emmanuel Macron had promised on the 31st March, during his speech, nurseries, kindergartens and elementary schools will reopen on Monday 26th April, after two weeks of vacation. Information confirmed by Olivier Véran, the Minister of Health, in an interview with Telegram, Tuesday  : “To date, the schedule is as follows: April 26, the reopening of face-to-face schools. ”

To avoid an epidemic resumption, the government wants to deploy  a million saliva tests in schools as of the start of the school year, said a source in the executive on Wednesday, according to information from BFMTV and France Inter. From the same source, the health protocol will remain identical to the start of the spring break, with the closure of a class from the first case of Covid observed. Prime Minister Jean Castex, Minister of Education Jean-Michel Blanquer and Minister of Health Olivier Véran will hold a press conference this Thursday at 6 pm. to clarify the health protocol put in place.

The 3rd May

For middle and high school students, classes will also resume on the 26th April, but remotely. They will have to wait an additional week, until Monday 3rd May, to find their way back to school in person, but probably in half-groups.

On the 3rd May (May 2nd at midnight to be precise) will also sign the end of the restriction of travel to 10 kilometres from home, confirmed the government spokesman, Gabriel Attal, this Wednesday at the end of the Council of Ministers and a Health Defense Council: “On May 3, the travel restrictions and certification, as well as the ban on interregional travel, are scheduled to be lifted. ”

From this date, you will be able to travel more than 10 kilometres from your home, even in other regions, all without a certificate. On the other hand, the curfew should remain in force: “The end of the reduction of the curfew is not among the measures for which the President has said that they will be in place for four weeks and that they will end. ‘ended on the 3rd May. So it is not part of this calendar, ”added Gabriel Attal.

In May

During his speech, on the 31st March, Emmanuel Macron had mentioned a reopening from mid-May of the terraces of cafes-restaurants and certain places of culture, an objective that he then reaffirmed in front of mayors and that have confirmed members of the government.

Consultations are currently taking place at the Ministries of Culture and the Economy with professionals to set a maximum level in places of culture and businesses that may reopen. These gauges could vary according to the territories, with a minimum threshold of 35%, depending on the level of circulation of the virus.

While no date has been put forward, government spokesman Gabriel Attal said the government was considering the reopening for Ascension weekend (May 13-16) or just after.

What we do not yet know

Several points remain unanswered. If the curfew is to continue for several weeks, his schedules could be shifted. The most cautious in the government would like to delay a maximum of one hour in metropolitan France, at 8 pm., while supporters of the reopening plead for 11 pm. In similar cases, the head of state has often opted for a mid-way compromise.

As for the restaurants, cinemas, sports halls, nightclubs or festivals, no dates has yet been mentioned. The President of the Republic should take the floor himself to announce all the modalities of the reopening, probably by the first week of May.

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