Restaurant terraces on the Croisette in Cannes on July 14, 2020. – SYSPEO / SIPA
A lot of hope and still a lot of uncertainties. This Monday marks the first step in the deconfinement calendar unveiled Thursday evening by Emmanuel Macron in an interview with the regional press. A “cautious and pragmatic” schedule which “above all” takes into account “the desire of the French to resume an increasingly normal life,” defended government spokesman Gabriel Attal on Friday, but whose different stages remain however suspended from the progress indicators of the virus.
In a context of timid reflux of contaminations and threat of the Indian variant, Emmanuel Macron intends indeed to “activate health” emergency brakes “in the territories where the virus would circulate too much”, with these criteria: more than 400 infections for 100,000 inhabitants, a “very sudden” increase in this rate and “a threat of saturation of intensive care services”.
In the meantime, traders, restaurateurs, teachers, cultural and sports professionals or ordinary citizens are preparing for a gradual return to a semblance of normal life, in parallel with an acceleration of the vaccination campaign. On the eve of the first step of this process expected this Monday, 20 minutes takes stock of the main dates to remember on lifting restrictions and expanding access to immunization.
Since Saturday, May 1: Vaccination extended to adults suffering from serious pathologies
Since Saturday, vaccination is open to adults who “suffer from chronic diseases”. This precise list, which until then opened vaccination to 50-54 year olds, includes in particular cardiovascular pathologies, “complicated hypertension” (and not current hypertension, very widespread), obesity (higher body mass index). to 30) or a history of stroke. However, no “medical prescription” will be requested, the ministry said in a statement. “Upon declaration of their (s) comorbidity (s), (these adults) can be vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines,” he explains.
Monday May 3: Flexible travel but public places closed
As of this Monday, travel certificates will be deleted and interregional travel will be authorized. However, the curfew will be maintained from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m., as will teleworking. The businesses will remain closed.
The high school students will resume classes in half-gauge and the middle school students will resume face-to-face classes. However, the 4th and 3rd classes will resume half-gauge courses in the 15 departments most affected by the epidemic (Aisne, Bouches-du-Rhône, Essonne, Hauts-de-Seine, Loire, the North, the Oise, Paris, the Rhône, the Sarthe, the Seine-et-Marne, the Seine-Saint-Denis, the Val-d’Oise, the Val-de-Marne and the Yvelines.)
Saturday May 15: Opening of vaccination for over 50s without any particular illness
Wednesday May 19: Curfew postponed and reopening under conditions
For the second stage of deconfinement, the curfew will be pushed back to 9 p.m., but teleworking will be maintained. Gatherings of more than ten people will be prohibited (instead of more than six people until then).
Shops, terraces (with a maximum of six people per table), museums, monuments, cinemas and theaters can reopen with limited gauges (800 people seated indoors, 1,000 outdoors).
Indoor and outdoor sports establishments will be able to accommodate spectators (800 people indoors, 1,000 outdoors). Sports activities in indoor and outdoor areas will resume with appropriate protocols.
Wednesday June 9: reopening of indoor restaurants and flexibility in teleworking
For the third stage of deconfinement, the curfew will be pushed back to 11 p.m. and teleworking can be made more flexible, in consultation with the social partners at company level.
The bars and restaurants will reopen indoors but, in the same way as on the terraces, customers can only have a maximum of six at the table,
Places of culture and sports establishments will be able to accommodate up to 5,000 people with the health pass.
The sports halls will be able to reopen, with respect for gauges and adapted protocols. The practice of contact sports will be able to resume outdoors, that of non-contact sports will be possible indoors.
Tourists can be accommodated (with the sanitary pass).
June 15, 2021: All French people over 18 will be able to be vaccinated against Covid-19
Sunday June 30: End of curfew and gauge limits
The end of the deconfinement process will be marked by the lifting of the curfew and the end of the gauge limits in places open to the public (depending on the local health situation).
It will be possible to participate in an event bringing together more than 1,000 people outdoors and indoors (with the health pass).
Nightclubs, on the other hand, will remain closed.