Shops reopen: France is defusing its severe restrictions on the crown

Breathe a sigh of relief for shops and hikers: France will have less stringent restrictions from Saturday. Even shops that are not essential to life can reopen their doors, but only under certain conditions. Eight square meters of sales area must be available for each customer. The economy had been asking for all stores to reopen for weeks.

In the future, more time will be allowed for sports and outdoor walks. Instead of the previous hour a day, three are now allowed, the radius extends from 1 to 20 kilometers around the place of residence. Extracurricular activities can also take place outside again. Masses can be celebrated again with up to 30 faithful. Libraries and archives can also reopen.

The relaxation of the rules follows just under a month of strict restrictions, many of which remain in effect. In France, it will only be allowed to leave home for a valid reason in the future, for example to go to work or to go shopping. A certificate must be brought with you.

As French President Emmanuel Macron said in his televised speech on Tuesday, one should still refrain from meeting friends and family and all unnecessary outings. Prime Minister Jean Castex also warned it was too early to talk about an end to the blockade.

If the crown numbers continue to decline, the end of the exit restrictions is approaching. Macron has promised to replace them with a night curfew from mid-December. Cinemas, theaters and museums could also reopen under certain conditions.

According to health authorities, France has already survived the peak of new infections in the second corona wave. About 12,450 new infections were reported within 24 hours on Friday. At the beginning of November, there were sometimes over 60,000 cases. In the country with 67 million inhabitants, more than 51,900 people have died since the outbreak of the pandemic.