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Posted by: Daniela Socolovschi

News / International

25 Nov. 2020 / 09:33

France and Britain to loosen coronavirus lockdowns ahead of Christmas

Leaders in France and Britain on Tuesday announced tentative easings of lockdown restrictions heading into the Christmas holiday season while acknowledging that the coronavirus was far from under control, Washingtonpost.com reports.

The decision to reopen shops, resume indoor entertainment and allow limited holiday gatherings appeared to rub up against a consensus among scientists, who have underscored the risks of indoor socializing and have warned of the danger in lifting restrictions too rapidly. But many European leaders seem reluctant to keep their economies closed or to stand in the way of family members seeing each other after a year marked by long periods of strict confinement measures and social isolation.

French President Emmanuel Macron began a national address Tuesday by outlining what restrictions would remain in place in the coming weeks: “We will have to continue to stay at home, to telecommute when possible, to give up private meetings, family gatherings and all nonessential travel.”

But he outlined a three-step deconfinement plan under which nonessential shops could reopen starting Saturday and cinemas and theaters could welcome back audiences in mid-December. Restaurants would need to remain closed into January, he said, and an evening curfew would remain in place. But exceptions would be granted for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve so that people could “share these moments together among family,” Macron said.

Vaccination, he added, would begin in late December or early January and would not be mandatory.

In Britain, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced plans for the national lockdown to end Dec. 2, to be replaced by a region-by-region tiered system of restrictions.

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