Only essential retailers, such as supermarkets, will be allowed to remain open, and curfews will be in place from 7pm to 6am. However, inter-regional travel will be allowed for the coming Easter weekend.

“We will lose control if we do not move now,” Macron said, as he unveiled the extended measures and pledged to increase intensive care capacity at hospitals from the existing 7,000 beds to 10,000 beds “in the coming days.”

Macron also said he stood by his administration’s handling of the pandemic, including its reluctance to impose a national lockdown in response to an uptick of infections from January.

Macron said France had “done well” not to be hit by more restrictive curbs to date, and had gained “precious days of freedom” compared to some of its European neighbors which have opted for stricter health measures.

He added that existing measures like curfews, were “effective” but “too limited” given the threat from the more transmissible UK variant B117 of the virus, which now accounts for most of France’s COVID-19 cases.

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Macron also said he stood by his administration’s handling of the pandemic, including its reluctance to impose a national lockdown in response to an uptick of infections from January.
Macron said, as he unveiled the extended measures and pledged to increase intensive care capacity at hospitals from the existing 7,000 beds to 10,000 beds “in the coming days.
Only essential retailers, such as supermarkets, will be allowed to remain open, and curfews will be in place from 7pm to 6am.