Lockdown in France, third time

Special Desk

A ‘limited lockdown’ will be imposed across the nation and all schools will remain closed as part of this phase of restrictions, French President has announced and ordered travel restrictions across France be imposed while non-essential shops around the country be closed for the next four weeks.

Critics say Macron, went against the European trend in January and did not imposed a third lockdown in the country even as the rising cases left hospitals in hotspot cities overwhelmed.

“We gained precious weeks of liberty, weeks of learning for our children, we allowed hundreds of thousands of workers to keep their head above water, without losing control of the epidemic,” he argued in favour of not locking down in January.

The resurgence in the outbreak is a setback for governments, whose plans to get life back to normal and revive their economies have already been stymied by a slow vaccine rollout across the European Union.

French President Emmanuel Macron is due to address the nation and is planning to announce tougher measures then, according to people familiar with the matter. A ban on intercity travel and well as a closing of schools is possible, which along with current measures, would effectively amount to a new lockdown, people said.

In Italy, Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s government will extend current restrictions on movement and business openings in high-risk areas until the end of April 30, according to a draft of the new decree. Extra measures include making vaccination mandatory for medical staff.

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A full lockdown for France would represent a reversal for Macron. He had favored a localized approach, and his rejection of advice for stricter measures sooner could be politically damaging a year out from presidential elections.