France plans to lift travel restrictions and ease a nationwide curfew on May 2 on expectations that daily Covid-19 cases will soon begin falling, but new entry restrictions on travellers from India will be imposed to fight the spread of a contagious coronavirus variant, a government official said, reports FRANCE 24.
President Emmanuel Macron also intends to stick to a goal of allowing restaurants to serve patrons outdoors from mid-May, while also reopening cinemas, theatres and museums with reduced capacity, a source close to the presidency told AFP.
Non-food businesses will also open their doors mid-May, after Macron announced their closure from April 3 to contain a third wave of coronavirus infections that have again pushed hospitals to the brink.
The restrictions on travel from India come in addition to those previously announced regarding three other countries – Brazil, Argentina and Chile – that will be implemented starting from Saturday.
Government spokesman Gabriel Attal confirmed Wednesday that France would lift its ban on domestic travel as planned on May 3, but said it would maintain its nighttime curfew, now in place from 7pm to 6am.
Non-essential shops, closed since the partial lockdown of the country at the beginning of April, won’t reopen before mid-May, he said.