France Announces School Closures, Defends COVID-19 Strategy

French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday announced
nationwide school closures and a limited lockdown while defending
his controversial strategy to confront soaring COVID-19
infections.

The 43-year-old leader has been under fire from political
opponents and many health experts in recent weeks as the rampant
virus left hospitals in hotspots such as Paris overwhelmed.

At the end of January, Macron bucked the European trend and went
against the recommendation of his scientific advisers by deciding
that France would not enter a third lockdown.

In an address to the nation, he tightened restrictions
significantly on Wednesday, ordering a school shutdown for three
weeks, travel restrictions across France, and the closure of
non-essential shops around the country.

But he stopped short of demanding people stay in their homes or
avoid socialising completely, and authorised people to move between
regions over the upcoming Easter weekend.

“We have adopted a strategy since the beginning of the year that
aims to contain the epidemic without shutting ourselves in,” he
said.

Not locking down in January meant “we gained precious weeks of
liberty, weeks of learning for our children, we allowed hundreds of
thousands of workers to keep their head above water, without losing
control of the epidemic,” he argued.

The question in the coming days will be whether the new measures
are enough to reverse the sharp rise in infections which have been
running at more than 40,000 a day, double their level at the
beginning of the month.

Exhausted intensive care doctors and hospital directors have
pleaded for a strict lockdown to stem the influx of new
patients.

With warm weather and sunshine on Wednesday, groups of young
people could be seen congregating in public spaces around Paris,
ignoring rules barring the consumption of alcohol outside.

The French Hospitals Federation (FHF) urged Macron to order “a
strict lockdown immediately” on Wednesday.

– ‘Vaccinate, vaccinate!’ –
Macron said that the current efforts to limit the virus “were too
limited at a time when the epidemic is accelerating” and warned
that the spread of the more contagious British variant meant “we
risk losing control”.

He said that schools would close from Monday for the next three
weeks, but this would include two weeks of spring holiday.

From Saturday night and for the next four weeks, travel
restrictions will be imposed across the whole country and
non-essential shops will close in line with measures already
implemented in coronavirus hotspots such as Paris, he said.

Intensive care capacity in French hospitals is also set to
increase from 7,000 beds to 10,000, he said.

But striking a more optimistic tone for the medium term, he said
some cultural venues and cafe terraces would reopen in mid-May
“under strict rules”.

“Thanks to the vaccine, the way out of the crisis is emerging,”
he said.

“We will do everything to vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate!
Without rest, without holidays. Saturday and Sunday just like in
the week,” he said.

As well as the spiralling infections, he is also on the back
foot over France’s vaccine rollout, which has been dogged by a
chronic shortage of doses due in part to a centralised EU
purchasing system which he championed.

He said France was sticking by its target to vaccinate all those
above the age of 18 who want to be vaccinated by the end of the
summer.

All those over 60 would be eligible from April 16 and those over
50 from May 15.

– Frontrunner –
At stake in France’s current crisis is above all the health of
nearly 70 million people and the fate of the eurozone’s
second-biggest economy, but also Macron’s political future one year
from presidential elections.

His handling of the twin health and economic crises caused by
the pandemic will be foremost in voters’ minds next April and May,
analysts say.

Acknowledging criticism from opponents, Macron said: “At every
stage of this epidemic, we could say to ourselves that we could
have done better, that we made mistakes. That’s all true.”

Stephane Zumsteeg, head of public opinion surveys at the Ipsos
pollster in France, said voters would ultimately judge Macron’s
performance based on a comparison of France with its EU
neighbours.

And he underlined that polls still show the pro-business
centrist as the frontrunner.

“Of course lots of things can happen in the next year but at
this point, the main favourite for next year’s election is Emmanuel
Macron, not because he’s the best or the most loved but because
there’s no credible alternative other than Marine Le Pen.”

French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday announced
nationwide school closures and a limited lockdown while defending
his controversial strategy to confront soaring COVID-19
infections.

The 43-year-old leader has been under fire from political
opponents and many health experts in recent weeks as the rampant
virus left hospitals in hotspots such as Paris overwhelmed.

At the end of January, Macron bucked the European trend and went
against the recommendation of his scientific advisers by deciding
that France would not enter a third lockdown.

In an address to the nation, he tightened restrictions
significantly on Wednesday, ordering a school shutdown for three
weeks, travel restrictions across France, and the closure of
non-essential shops around the country.

But he stopped short of demanding people stay in their homes or
avoid socialising completely, and authorised people to move between
regions over the upcoming Easter weekend.

“We have adopted a strategy since the beginning of the year that
aims to contain the epidemic without shutting ourselves in,” he
said.

Not locking down in January meant “we gained precious weeks of
liberty, weeks of learning for our children, we allowed hundreds of
thousands of workers to keep their head above water, without losing
control of the epidemic,” he argued.

The question in the coming days will be whether the new measures
are enough to reverse the sharp rise in infections which have been
running at more than 40,000 a day, double their level at the
beginning of the month.

Exhausted intensive care doctors and hospital directors have
pleaded for a strict lockdown to stem the influx of new
patients.

With warm weather and sunshine on Wednesday, groups of young
people could be seen congregating in public spaces around Paris,
ignoring rules barring the consumption of alcohol outside.

The French Hospitals Federation (FHF) urged Macron to order “a
strict lockdown immediately” on Wednesday.

– ‘Vaccinate, vaccinate!’ –
Macron said that the current efforts to limit the virus “were too
limited at a time when the epidemic is accelerating” and warned
that the spread of the more contagious British variant meant “we
risk losing control”.

He said that schools would close from Monday for the next three
weeks, but this would include two weeks of spring holiday.

From Saturday night and for the next four weeks, travel
restrictions will be imposed across the whole country and
non-essential shops will close in line with measures already
implemented in coronavirus hotspots such as Paris, he said.

Intensive care capacity in French hospitals is also set to
increase from 7,000 beds to 10,000, he said.

But striking a more optimistic tone for the medium term, he said
some cultural venues and cafe terraces would reopen in mid-May
“under strict rules”.

“Thanks to the vaccine, the way out of the crisis is emerging,”
he said.

“We will do everything to vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate!
Without rest, without holidays. Saturday and Sunday just like in
the week,” he said.

As well as the spiralling infections, he is also on the back
foot over France’s vaccine rollout, which has been dogged by a
chronic shortage of doses due in part to a centralised EU
purchasing system which he championed.

He said France was sticking by its target to vaccinate all those
above the age of 18 who want to be vaccinated by the end of the
summer.

All those over 60 would be eligible from April 16 and those over
50 from May 15.

– Frontrunner –
At stake in France’s current crisis is above all the health of
nearly 70 million people and the fate of the eurozone’s
second-biggest economy, but also Macron’s political future one year
from presidential elections.

His handling of the twin health and economic crises caused by
the pandemic will be foremost in voters’ minds next April and May,
analysts say.

Acknowledging criticism from opponents, Macron said: “At every
stage of this epidemic, we could say to ourselves that we could
have done better, that we made mistakes. That’s all true.”

Stephane Zumsteeg, head of public opinion surveys at the Ipsos
pollster in France, said voters would ultimately judge Macron’s
performance based on a comparison of France with its EU
neighbours.

And he underlined that polls still show the pro-business
centrist as the frontrunner.

“Of course lots of things can happen in the next year but at
this point, the main favourite for next year’s election is Emmanuel
Macron, not because he’s the best or the most loved but because
there’s no credible alternative other than Marine Le Pen.”