Rising covid cases and New Year celebrations / France tightens restrictions but does not impose curfew

Starting January 3, France will introduce some restrictions for a period of three weeks, such as a ban on eating and drinking inside cinemas, theaters, sporting events or public transport, including long-distance transport.

Large outdoor and indoor gatherings will be limited to 5,000 to 2,000 participants respectively, while walking concerts will be canceled. Customers wishing to dine at a restaurant or cafe should sit down.

Work from home will also become mandatory “when possible” for at least three days a week. Castex said it is up to local leaders to decide whether wearing masks outside should be returned to city centers.

Castex reiterated the government’s position that vaccines are the key to overcoming this pandemic, which he described as “an endless movie”.

Starting tomorrow, the time required between the last vaccine dose and the booster dose will be reduced to three months.

The government is also awaiting a new law, which will turn the country’s health permit into a vaccine permit, which will take effect starting January 15th. It will effectively stop unvaccinated people from going to public places like cinemas, theaters, restaurants and cafes.

More than 51 million people, or 76.6% of the total population, in France have been fully vaccinated and more than 22 million have received their boosting vaccine as of today.

According to data from the Ministry of Health, France reported a record 104,611 infections with covid on Christmas day, the first time case numbers have crossed the 100,000 threshold since the pandemic began.

The government will reassess the situation of covid-19 at the next health protection council on January 5th.

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