While the epidemic situation remains tense with a high number of contaminations and hospitalizations, France begins, this Wednesday, to lift certain restrictions imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Thus, from today, wearing a mask is no longer compulsory outdoors, the gauges in places open to the seated public, in particular stadiums and cultural establishments, are abandoned and teleworking is no longer imposed, but only recommended.
In addition, from February 16 and in accordance with the timetable for the gradual lifting of restrictions set by the executive, nightclubs, closed since December 10, will be able to reopen and standing concerts will be authorized again. Consumption at the counter will also be possible in bars. Just like consumption in stadiums, cinemas and transport.
The government has not made the lifting of these restrictions conditional on the evolution of the health situation. In the eyes of the authorities, the threat due to the Omicron variant is now limited since it is less dangerous than its predecessors, although much more contagious.
On average over seven days, 322,256 cases have been recorded, according to the latest figures, compared to 366,179 a week ago.
The number of patients in intensive care remained almost stable over a week – 3,751 on Tuesday against 3,741 – and hospitalizations continue to increase.
“For the past few days, we have seen a still fragile reversal of the trend, with fewer cases declared each day than seven days earlier,” government spokesman Gabriel Attal told franceinfo on Tuesday.
A “very encouraging signal”, he estimated, inviting however to “remain cautious”, in particular because of the sub-variant of Omicron, “BA.2, very contagious”.
Faced with an improvement in the epidemic situation, the French government announced on January 20 a timetable for lifting health restrictions, in the face of an epidemic situation evolving “favourably”.
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