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HEALTH

France to lift lockdown, but with extra restrictions in place over Christmas

France will lift its lockdown as planned on December 15th - but with extra strict conditions in place in the face of worrying health data, the prime minister has announced.

France to lift lockdown, but with extra restrictions in place over Christmas
French Prime Minister Jean Castex. Photo: AFP

France had initially hoped to be able to lift many of its lockdown rules on December 15th – allowing people to travel to visit friends and family over the holidays – followed by a reopening of bars and gyms on January 20th.

However all this depended on cases falling to 5,000 a day, a target that the government now judge 'impossible'.

Instead Prime Minister Jean Castex announced on Thursday evening that while some restrictions will be lifted, other will stay in place and an 8pm curfew will be introduced.

He said: “We are not yet at the end of the second wave, and we won’t be at the goal we set of 5,000 new cases per day by December 15th.

“We know that the gatherings over the holidays present a risk.

“For all these reasons we need to keep our guard up, stay vigilant. . . and let everyone benefit from the holidays, but without risking provoking an epidemic resurgence.”

From December 15th

  • Lockdown will be lifted, and trips out of the home will no longer require an essential reason or an attestation (permission form).
  • A curfew from 8pm to 6am will be introduced
  • Cinemas, theatres and other cultural centres, which had been scheduled to reopen on December 15th, will stay closed until at least January 7th
  • Bars, restaurants and gyms will remain closed until at least January 20th, as planned
  • Rules on religious services remain the same
  • The curfew will be lifted on December 24th, but not on December 31st as had previously been suggested

The prime minister called on everyone to continue to work from home if possible, stay home as much as possible and limit social gatherings.

Castex said: “The conditions for reopening cultural centres are unfortunately not met. These are mainly cinemas, theatres and museums, but also sports establishments that receive public, circuses, zoos or even gaming rooms and casinos.

“I know how much the cultural sector has prepared to reopen. . . This decision was especially painful, believe us.”

However travel between regions – and in and out of France – will be allowed from December 15th for all reasons including holidays and family visits.

The curfew will be strictly enforced and only the following reasons will be accepted for being out between 8pm and 6am

  • Working or travelling to and from work
  • Essential family reasons (not including family visits)
  • Medical reasons
  • Providing aid to a person in need
  • Walking the dog (although trips out for exercise are not allowed during curfew)

An attestation will be needed for all trips out of the home during curfew hours and people found out at night without a form risk a €135 fine.

For the full rules on the curfew – click here.

On the subject of Christmas, the prime minister said that people could travel to see relatives, but urged people to keep gatherings small – France's recommended limit is six adults – and warned that too many gatherings could lead to a third wave of cases – and third lockdown – in January.

Health minister Olivier Véran warned that although cases were no longer rising, a resurgence could happen very quickly.

He said there were two major risk factors; the cold damp weather which has driven everyone indoors and the end-of-year holidays which will see an increase in socialising.

He said: “We will not arrive at 5,000 cases on December 15th.

“One person is hospitalised every minute still with Covid. Case numbers are decreasing, but the decrease is slowing down.

“This past 24 hours a Covid patient has been admitted into intensive care every seven minutes.

“The risk is that seriously ill cases will increase again.”

Member comments

  1. I do understand that families like to get together at Christmas. I don’t understand why they can’t be postponed for just 6 months when conditions might be safer and better for everyone.
    My family are going to have an “Australian” Chistmas, here in France on June 25th ’21. (I know it should be 21st as summer equinox , but lets have two days celebration LOL)

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HEALTH

How serious is the threat from dengue fever in France?

As tiger mosquitoes are now present in over 80 percent of mainland France, health authorities are worried that local transmission of tropical diseases, like dengue fever, will increase.

How serious is the threat from dengue fever in France?

As of January 2024, tiger mosquitoes – known for their ability to carry diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus – had been detected in 78 of France’s 96 mainland départements, including the Paris region.

This has left public health authorities concerned about the spread of dengue fever in France, particularly this summer as large crowds are expected amid the Olympic Games.

READ MORE: MAP: Tiger mosquitoes reach northern France

How common is dengue fever in France?

In the first four months of 2024, 1,679 cases of dengue fever were identified in mainland France, a number that is 13 times higher than the same period last year, Le Parisien reported.

Crucially, however, none of these are believed to have been contracted in mainland France – they were all reported among patients who had recently travelled from the tropical regions where dengue fever is common.

The majority of cases were from people who had visited the Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe – where the disease is endemic.

These islands are for administrative purposes part of France – so often show up in French health data – but they are roughly 7,000km away from Paris.

So far, there have not been any indigenous cases (autochtone – or people infected on mainland French soil) yet this year.

Local transmission of the disease remains relatively rare. In 2023, nine separate outbreaks of indigenous dengue transmission were identified, one of which occurred in the Paris region. These led to 45 cases of local transmission (in mainland France).

Most were in southern France – in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Occitanie and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions – though one outbreak occurred in the Paris region, according to French public health authorities.

This is less than 2022, which was a notable year with 66 total cases of indigenous dengue fever were recorded. In comparison, between 2010 and 2021, only 48 cases (total) were recorded.

What to expect for 2024

Experts believe that the number of cases in France, including indigenous ones, will grow this year, as tiger mosquitoes now occupy more territory in mainland France.

On top of that, the number of cases has increased significantly in Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“What we see in France is a mirror image of what is happening in the French Caribbean, and more widely in Latin America and the rest of the Caribbean, where dengue fever has been circulating since the start of the year at unprecedented levels”, the head of Santé Publique France, Dr Caroline Semaille, said during a press conference.

The Olympic Games will also bring an influx of tourists from all over the world, and weather conditions are expected to be conducive to mosquitoes – a year with a lot of rainfall, and potentially high temperatures. 

What is dengue fever?

The disease is spread to people from bites by infected mosquitoes.

The most common symptoms are high fever, chills, abdominal, joint and muscle pains, and vomiting. It can also cause a skin rash that resembles measles, according to France’s Institut Pasteur.

Symptoms usually begin three to 14 days (with an average of four to seven) after being bitten.

However people are asymptomatic in 50 to 90 percent of cases (depending on the epidemic), which can make monitoring difficult.

At-risk groups include the immunocompromised, children and the elderly, who are more likely to suffer from severe forms of the disease.

Deaths from the disease are very rare, occurring in around 0.01 percent of all cases, almost all in countries that have poor healthcare systems.

How can I avoid tiger mosquitoes?

Female tiger mosquitoes lay their eggs in water, and they can lay several hundred eggs at once. Therefore try to avoid having any standing water outside your home and be aware of the items that might collect rainwater.

This includes regularly emptying vases, flower pots, as well as watering cans and pots. If you want to collect rainwater, you could cover water butts with mosquito nets or fabric to keep the mosquitoes from getting inside.

READ ALSO 5 plants that (allegedly) repel mosquitoes

You can also keep your gutters clean – this helps to keep the water flowing when it rains, and it avoids any stagnant pools from building up.

To protect yourself, try to wear long, loose and light-coloured clothing, in addition to insect repellent. You might also consider wearing a mosquito net head gear.

The main difference between tiger mosquitoes and other species would be getting a bite during the day, and the fact that tiger mosquitoes are likely to bite several times. You can tell for sure if it was a tiger mosquito by seeing the insect itself. They are also silent.

There is no immediate cause for alarm if you are bitten, in almost all cases the bites are just itchy and annoying. In very rare cases, tropical diseases can be spread by the mosquitoes – seek medical help if you develop a high fever and rash.

READ MORE: How to prevent the spread of tiger mosquitoes in France

What do tiger mosquitoes look like?

They are very small, about 5 mm, and they have a highly contrasting colour, with black and white stripes on their body and legs.

If you believe you have spotted a tiger mosquito, you can report it to public health authorities online.

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