The day when Europe closes again. France and Germany have announced quarantine measures

The French president will convene meetings to review how the country treats the coronavirus pandemic, Elysée Palace said.

The government is considering what new restrictions should be imposed amid what experts are calling a “brutal” second wave of COVID-19 infections. Two thirds of the French population is already in quarantine at night.

Prime Minister Jean Castex said the “new measures” are “essential”. “Difficult decisions are to be expected,” said Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin.

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“The measures are tough,” Merkel said in Berlin on Wednesday after consultations with regional leaders.

“These are burdensome measures,” acknowledged the chancellor, but they aim to restore public life in Germany, for the most part, in December. Merkel announced that two weeks after the new measures come into force, federal states will again be consulted on measures that should come into effect or be amended.

The restrictions will take effect on Monday 2nd November.

New restrictions:

• Restaurants and bars will be closed except
• The main events will be deleted again
• Unnecessary journeys are discouraged
• Hotels will be closed except in an emergency
• Everyone who can work from home should do so, and employers should make it easier for them to transition to work from home.
• Public gatherings will be limited to just two families for a maximum of 10 people in total.
• Entertainment facilities such as theaters and cinemas will be closed
• Public recreation centers such as swimming pools, gyms and saunas will be closed

What is allowed

• Schools and kindergartens will remain open
• Religious processions will continue safely (decision taken for constitutional reasons)
• The stores will remain open, with one customer allowed for 10 square meters.

Economic support measures

Merkel has promised that companies affected by the new measures will receive financial support. Companies with up to 50 employees and the self-employed will receive 75% of their income in support.

“We will compensate the companies, institutions and clubs concerned,” he said.

According to the media, a total of € 10 billion has been earmarked for support.

Support for larger companies will be based on EU standards for assistance and will vary from company to company.

General quarantine of France

French President Emmanuel Macron announced that general quarantine will be restored from Friday, in the context of the high number of coronavirus cases, although schools will remain open.

“We have decided that from Friday quarantine will have to be restored throughout the country. Schools will remain open, work can continue, centers for the elderly will be able to be visited. As in spring, it will be possible to leave homes to go to work, go to the doctor, give assistance to a loved one, go to class or take a break near home. Let’s go back to the statements for leaving the house. Bars and restaurants are closed, “said Emmanuel Macron. .

“Although the efforts made have been useful, clarity forces us to admit that they are not enough. The virus is circulating in France at a speed that even the most pessimistic forecasts could not foresee. (…) Like our neighbors” We are deeply affected by the sudden acceleration of the epidemic, by a virus that seems to gain strength as winter approaches. We are all surprised in Europe at the evolution of the virus. In this context, it is my responsibility to protect all French people and take him on. “” Despite the controversy, “said Emmanuel Macron, according to Le Monde and Le Figaro.

“What are our goals? Protect the elderly, the most vulnerable. Age is an important factor, 85% of the dead are over 70 years old. We also have the goal of protecting young people, as 35% of people in intensive care are under the age of 35. (…) We will never allow hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens to die, “Macron said.

“I don’t believe in the opposition between health and the economy that some people want to establish,” said the French president.

Macron said the outbreak would be assessed every two weeks. “If in two weeks we have the situation under control, we will be able to reassess things and we hope to reopen some stores, especially in this very important period, before the Christmas holidays”, underlined Macron.

Initial news

In Germany, Angela Merkel’s government will hold an emergency meeting with regional leaders. Media reports have suggested that the chancellor is considering an “easy quarantine”: closing bars and restaurants, banning public gatherings, but keeping schools open.

If the new restrictions apply, people will only be able to go out in public in groups of up to two houses. The penalties to be applied have not yet been established.

Although the authorities have tried to avoid a blockade that would have hit the country’s economy hard, recent epidemic developments are raising the alarm. Angela Merkel warned on Tuesday that the German health system could soon reach a tipping point and Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said Germany is likely to reach 20,000 new infections a day by the end of the week.

In the Czech Republic, a night quarantine goes into effect on Wednesdays from 21:00 to 05:00.

In Switzerland, the government reported 8,616 new infections and 24 deaths. Cases have increased dramatically in the country since early October.

The new cases brought the confirmed total in Switzerland and Liechtenstein to 135,658 cases and 1,954 deaths. The government is meeting today to consider new restrictions to slow the spread of the virus.