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HEALTH

France tightens coronavirus lockdown with bans on hunting, beaches and hiking trails

As the number of coronavirus cases in France doubles every four days the country's already strict lockdown has been tightened with the authorities reminding the public that hunting, hiking and fishing are banned while beaches are now mostly out of bounds.

Published: 20 March 2020 17:25 CET
France tightens coronavirus lockdown with bans on hunting, beaches and hiking trails
The walkways along the Seine are now out of bounds. Photo: AFP

France is under lockdown with everyone ordered to stay home and trips out permitted for essential activities only.

People are permitted to leave their homes for;

  • Travel to and from work IF your work is essential and cannot be done from home
  • To go shopping for essentials
  • To go to medical appointments
  • For urgent family reasons such as providing care for children or the elderly
  • To take individual exercise, although there are strict controls on this too.

But amid widespread frustration at a minority of people flouting the rules, some local authorities have introduced stricter controls.

READ ALSO France's lockdown: Your questions answered

In Paris the police chief has announced a total ban on movement in certain parts of the city.

Préfet de Police Didier Lallement announced on Friday that he and mayor Anne Hidalgo had decided to bring in a ban on gatherings in some areas and a total movement ban in others.

 

It comes as some in Paris were caught flouting the lockdown restrictions by strolling and chatting in the pleasant spring sunshine.

From now on the pathways along the banks of the Seine, the Esplanade des Invalides and the Champ-de-Mars are out of bounds with no travel or gatherings permitted on them.

The Esplanade des Invalides is completely banned, while in other areas local residents and delivery staff will be permitted to travel for essential reasons, but they will need to provide proof.

Lallement said: “Even though most city inhabitants scrupulously respect the strict confinement instructions, it must be noted that despite the repeated calls for civic-mindedness issued by the State and City authorities and the numerous controls carried out by the police, too much careless and even irresponsible behaviour is still to be deplored.”

The mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, also told LCI radio that he is considering imposing a 9pm curfew, with essential workers the only people allowed out in the evening.
 
He has already closed the famous Promenade des Anglais seafront promenade.
 
The southern city of Perignan has also imposed a curfew from 8pm to 6am.
 
 
 
Is Nice headed for a curfew? Photo: AFP
 
 
Initially only group hunting was banned but to the delight of animal welfare associations the government clarified the rules with all forms individual hunting also banned.

On Friday authorities in Dordogne released a statement reminding people that outdoor activities like hunting and fishing also come under the ban on leaving home for non-essential activity.

The statement reminded people that “outdoor activities are not among the reasons allowed for leaving your home” and added that hunting, trapping, non-professional fishing and sailing were all banned under the terms of the national lockdown.

The three regional authorities which cover France's south coast – Corsica, Provence-Alpes-Côtes d'Azur and Occitanie – have already banned all access to beaches in the south after people were observed meeting up on the beaches for social gatherings.

On Thursday, authorities closed beaches and hiking trails along the Atlantic coast in the Morbihan region of Brittany.

Officials in Morbihan also banned all accommodation rentals on four islands, including the popular 
Belle-Ile.

“The habitation of furnished lodgings that are not primary residences is restricted to the owner, and in their presence, their children and parents,” according to a government decree.

Local officials in Normandy have also banned people from walking, jogging and cycling on coastal paths.

The government has also been reminding the public living near the coast that all forms of water sports are forbidden at this time. Here the ministry of sport retweet instructions from authorities in Brittany reminding the public that activities such as kite surfing and sailboating were banned.

 

The entire Mediterranean coast was also declared off-bounds because “We are seeing too many people on the beaches”, regional prefect Pierre Dartout told AFP.

With most museums and landmarks already closed, the Sacre-Coeur basilica overlooking the capital was shuttered for the first time Thursday since it was built in 1914.

Prison visits have been suspended and the Cannes film festival postponed.

 

 

 

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HEALTH

The different ways you can make a doctor’s appointment in France

Booking a medical appointment in France can be time-consuming – especially if you are new to the country and are looking for an English-speaking doctor.

Published: 13 May 2024 16:52 CEST
The different ways you can make a doctor's appointment in France

You do not need a carte vitale to book a doctor’s appointment in France – anyone who needs medical help while in the country is entitled to it, but you may not be entitled to any reimbursement if you are not part of the social security system.

Booking a GP’s appointment can be as simple as phoning up your friendly neighbourhood GP, or using an online service such as Doctolib. 

It helps a lot, if you have a médecin traitant – an attending GP, who adds you (and your family, if they can) to their list of patients. 

READ ALSO Explained: How to register with a doctor in France

It is not always easy to find one. Some parts of the country are short of GPs, which means doctors’ lists can fill up very quickly. But it is important that anyone who lives in France is registered with a named GP, especially if they have a carte vitale.

As well as being the main point of contact between patients and the medical profession in all its guises, it is financially responsible to be registered with a GP in France.

Reimbursement on consultations is typically 70 percent through the French healthcare system, but just 30 percent for anyone without a declared doctor. Meanwhile, top-up mutuelle health insurance companies usually require you to declare a médecin traitant and if you don’t, you may not be able to receive reimbursements on certain treatments.

Bear in mind, it is your responsibility to register with a local médecin traitant. But, even after you have done so, you can still make an appointment with any doctor, anywhere in France, and arrange specialist treatment, if you need it. 

READ ALSO 5 things to know about visiting a doctor in France

How do you go about making a GP appointment in France?

There are several options.

Some health centres – more often in larger towns and cities – operate a walk-in policy. But expect waits to be lengthy. Do not, however, assume that your GP operates a system like this.

You can phone for an appointment. This is another very common method. Your GP will have their own system for making appointments – which may even include something that looks, to the uninitiated, very much like a casual walk-in policy. 

Some may have an assistant to deal with booking appointments and other administration. Others may deal with appointments themselves, and may – for example – operate some sort of triage system based on voice messages from patients. 

What about online booking systems?

And many practitioners are now attached to websites, such as Doctolib. As of 2023, about half of all GP appointments in France were made using Doctolib.

READ ALSO How to use: French medical website Doctolib

Be aware that other online booking systems are available. Doctolib is one of the best known, but your GP may be attached to another system, like the health ministry approved site ‘LeMedecin.Fr’.

This website also has a feature where you can take an immediate online consultation with whatever doctor is available at that moment. By clicking ‘Consultez en vidéo maintenant’ you will be connected to the next doctor who is free. This option may involve an additional charge between €5-10 on top of the price of the consultation, and you will be expected to pay when booking.

If you have any trouble with either of these websites, you can go through the list of registered generalists per département on the ‘Ameli’ website. If you use this option, you will need to call the doctor to see if they are open or available for appointments.

In terms of wait times, online systems have helped to significantly reduce the delay between booking and getting an appointment.

According to a 2023 study by Doctolib, about half of all GP appointments were available within three days from the time of booking on their platform.

Similarly, you can use online platforms to check the medical professional’s qualifications and languages spoken, as well as filter based on the doctor’s English abilities. However, this should be taken with a grain of salt because not every medical professional with English listed on their Doctolib page speaks fluent English. 

An increasing number of doctorsoffer video consultations, known as télémédecine in France. This allows professionals – particularly those in more rural areas – to diagnose less serious conditions remotely. This type of consultation is usually only available from those medical practices that are attached to online booking systems. 

Some pharmacies have also begun offering walk-in télémedicine consults, using ‘Medadom’ machines. More information here.

What about specialists?

In France, you book your own consultations with specialists, even if you are referred by a doctor (your GP may offer a recommendation, but won’t always). The good news is that many specialists do use online booking services. Those that do not usually have assistants to take care of the appointments.

READ ALSO: Urgent care: How to get non-emergency medical treatment in France

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