France to lift weekend confinement in Paris and Île-de-France

France to lift weekend confinement in Paris and Île-de-France in first steps towards a return to normal.

GOVERNMENT spokesman Gabriel Attal said a return to normal life could begin “perhaps from mid-April” and hinted at the reopening of social life and other outlets.

Prime Minister Jean Castex is expected to ask the French population at a press conference today, Thursday, March 4, to “redouble their vigilance” and maintain their efforts, though containment on weekends will continue in Pas-de-Calais, reports Le Figaro.

While 12 million Île-de-France residents will be spared weekend confinement, “the counterpart is absolute respect for measures and limit social interactions as much as possible,” stressed Attal.

“We must not relax the attention but rather be extra vigilant, especially at weekends. In several departments, including those of Île-de-France, stricter gauges must however be observed in shops.”

Mentioning for the first time a return to a more normal life “perhaps from mid-April,” Attal said: “Our outings, our sport, our culture, all our outlets, all these places that make up our social life will reopen, we will find them again.”

In a bid to send a message of hope earlier in the week, President Emmanuel Macron asked the public to “hold on” another “four to six weeks.”

While the government proposes easing restrictions, Covid infections continue to rise with 26,788 positive cases confirmed in 24 hours yesterday, the biggest daily increase since February 24, bringing the total to 3,810,316 since the pandemic began in France.

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