Name: France extends coronavirus lockdown until 11 May
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France extends coronavirus lockdown until 11 May

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has extended its lockdown for a further four weeks until 11 May, has announced.In his third televised address about the coronavirus pandemic, the president admitted that France had not been prepared for the crisis and that there had been “failings and insufficiencies” in healthcare systems and elderly care facilities.There have been more than 135,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in France, resulting in 14,967 deaths. Only the US, Spain and Italy have had more confirmed cases of the deadly virus.Mr Macron praised paramedics, nurses and other frontline workers, as well as “all of the French men and women who have answered the call” to confront the outbreak. On Sunday, the country’s public health authority revealed that the number of patients in intensive care being treated for the virus had fallen for the fourth consecutive day.The figures suggest that the containment measures are helping to ease the crisis but the situation in the country remains critical. “There is hope but nothing is for certain in this battle,” Mr Macron said in his address. “We need to put in all of our effort to stem the spread of the virus.”He added that lockdown measures would be lifted gradually. On 11 May schools and some workplaces would reopen but social gatherings and leisure activities will remain banned until at least mid-July.France has been and Mr Macron’s announcement marks the second time the initial 15-day period has been extended.Lockdown rules in the country have been among the strictest in the world, with . Unless a person is deemed a key worker, then only brief trips for essential items or medical reasons are permitted. Anyone out in public is required to carry a form stating the purpose of their excursion, which are limited to one hour and must be within 1km of the person’s home.Police have carried out more than 8 million checks throughout the country since the lockdown began, resulting in around half a million individual fines of between €35 (£30) and €375 (£325).The French government announced on Thursday that its estimated cost of the crisis had more than doubled to €100bn.Finance minister Bruno Le Maire said that over 4 per cent of the country’s GDP would be needed to cope with the economic impact of the coronavirus impact, which has seen .“These numbers could yet change as the economic situation and companies’ need of support is changing fast,” he said. “We’re going all out to save our companies.”Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalismBy registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalistsAlready have an account? sign inBy clicking ‘Register’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;and&nbsp;This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google&nbsp;&nbsp;and&nbsp;&nbsp;apply.Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalismBy registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalistsAlready have an account? sign inBy clicking ‘Register’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;and&nbsp;This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google&nbsp;&nbsp;and&nbsp;&nbsp;apply.Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies✕Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.Close✕Or if you would prefer:SIGN IN WITH GOOGLEWant an ad-free experience?This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google&nbsp;&nbsp;and&nbsp;&nbsp;apply.Hi {{indy.fullName}}

has extended its lockdown for a further four weeks until 11 May, has announced.In his third televised address about the coronavirus pandemic, the president admitted that France had not been prepared for the crisis and that there had been “failings and insufficiencies” in healthcare systems and elderly care facilities.There have been more than 135,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in France, resulting in 14,967 deaths. Only the US, Spain and Italy have had more confirmed cases of the deadly virus.Mr Macron praised paramedics, nurses and other frontline workers, as well as “all of the French...

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France extends coronavirus lockdown until 11 May

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