France Paris, Finally the 3rd Lockdown

by Jo Youjin

Published 19 Mar.2021 10:58(KST)

Paris and Ile-de-France Region with 20% Population Density Face 4-Week Movement Restrictions

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] The French capital Paris is entering a one-month lockdown due to the third wave of COVID-19, the British BBC reported on the 18th (local time).

According to the report, Paris and eight departments in the ?le-de-France region will enter movement restrictions for four weeks starting at midnight on the 19th. ?le-de-France covers only 1.9% of the total area but is a densely populated region where 20% of the total population (12.17 million people) reside.

Prime Minister Jean Castex announced this at a press conference held that afternoon, adding that the same measures will be applied to eight departments in the Hauts-de-France region in the north, including five departments there, as well as Seine-Maritime, Eure, and Alpes-Maritimes.

France recorded more than 35,000 new confirmed cases in a single day the previous day. Prime Minister Castex diagnosed that "France has entered the third wave of COVID-19."

Previously, the French government imposed weekend-only lockdowns focused on regions with severe COVID-19 spread, but this measure expands the lockdown to weekdays as well.

Under this measure, non-essential businesses must close. Kindergartens, elementary schools, and middle schools will operate normally, while high schools will hold classes with attendance limited to half the students.

In areas exempt from lockdown, the nighttime curfew remains in effect. However, starting this weekend, the curfew start time has been postponed from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Meanwhile, the government has decided to resume vaccinations with the AstraZeneca-Oxford University vaccine, which had been temporarily suspended, following the European Medicines Agency (EMA) review results.

Prime Minister Castex plans to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine on the afternoon of the 19th, according to the daily Le Figaro.