French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Thursday that Paris would be locked up for a month due to an increase in new cases of coronavirus and that more patients were in city hospitals than during the country’s second wave.
“The epidemic is getting worse,” he told Reuters. “Our responsibility now is not to allow it to escape our control.”
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The news of another exclusion in a city known for its charm in the spring was a devastating blow to businesses in the city that depend on tourists. The BBC reported that the city will keep schools open, but will have to close all non-essential businesses. There are also limits to how far a resident can exercise outside while away from home. The new rules take effect on Friday at midnight.
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The report indicated that France had joined other EU countries to suspend AstraZeneca’s COVID vaccine, but would use it again on Friday. Castex said it would be vaccinated with the sting to restore confidence in the country.
Castex said the country was beginning to enter its third wave, and the British variant accounts for about 75% of cases, reports Reuters. The city of 2.1 million currently has an incidence of more than 400 infections per 100,000 inhabitants.