The French government had on Wednesday declared a public health state of emergency which has given the country’s authority the ability to further impose even stricter measures in order to contain the spread of the COVID19.
“The COVID-19 epidemic constitutes a public health disaster which, by its character and its severity, puts at risk the health of the population,” the government said in a statement announcing the state of emergency.
“It justifies the declaration of a state of emergency so that measures can be adopted … which are strictly proportionate to the public health risks.”
Only little is known for now about the steps to be taken by the country’s government but the fact that the country could declare a state of emergency meant there would be a stricter measure to be put in place in order to flatten the curve.
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President Emmanuel Macron is expected to explain even further on the plans of his administration to curb the spread during a national televised interview at 8:00PM (18:00 GMT) on Wednesday.
Meanwhile there is the thoughts about curfew which is said to be in place from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. which could be part of what the president would announce.
Meanwhile this wouldn’t be the first time the French government would be declaring a public health state of emergency over the coronavirus as the first was back March when the country’s spread was close to its peak.
At the time, the authorities used their extra powers to order people to stay at home except for essential work, buying food or taking one hour of daily exercise but the state of emergency was later on lifted in mainland France back in July when the number of cases began to subside.
But since then, the disease has surged back, with Prime Minister Jean Castex saying France was in the midst of the second wave of the virus.
French health authorities reported on Wednesday that the number of people being treated in hospital for COVID-19 went above the 9,100 threshold for the first time since June 25. This is a serious case in Europe whose number has now surged pass the US.
