President Macron has called on people to continue to respect health protocols and barrier gestures as the next phase of deconfinement in France begins today. Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi said that today "is a new step towards a little more freedom for our fellow citizens and a relief for our professionals in the face of the health crisis".
Speaking after the Council of Ministers meeting this morning, government spokesperson Gabrial Attal said that the President had said that the priority of the government over the coming weeks will be the support of economic sectors. The Council of Minister met in person this morning for the first time since last October. After the meeting, Prime Minister Jean Castex marked the changes coming into force today by eating in a restaurant and visiting a gym in a suburb of Paris.
As from today, changes include the curfew now starting at 11 p.m. instead of 9 p.m., there's reopening of indoor cafes and restaurants, sports halls and swimming pools and flexibility in teleworking. A health pass is introduced to allow access to venues such as theatres, sporting or cultural venues, conference rooms and trade fairs. There is also the reopening of travel between France and foreign countries in accordance with procedures that vary depending on the health situation in each country and the vaccination of travellers. However, some restrictions remain, such as a prohibition on gatherings of more than ten people in public spaces.
Speaking during a visit to the French Open tennis at Roland Garros, Health Minister Olivier Veran said that there had been a "downward momentum" in the number of cases in the six departments in south-west France which had been causing concern recently.
The town hall in Cannes has said that since 9 January 57,000 injections have been given in total in the two municipal vaccination centers. 57% of Cannes residents 18 and over have received a first injection and 100% of target audiences and / or priority volunteers have been vaccinated or have been offered an appointment. Meanwhile, the Regional Health Agency said that as of 7 June, 803,711 total injections had been carried out in the Alpes-Maritimes. 508,740 people received their first dose and 294,971 received their second injection.
This year's edition of the Toulon Music Festival has been postponed. Mayor Hubert Falco said the decision had been made because of the continuing imposition of certain sanitary conditions for concerts. The festival was scheduled to take place on the Fete de la Musique, 21 June.
Meteo France have a yellow warning for storms in the Var and the Alpes-Maritimes until 9.00 this evening. There is also a yellow warning for tomorrow, Thursday, from 1pm to at least 4pm, but those storms are expected to be mostly inland.
BUSINESS
The UK Competition and Markets Authority is investigating whether British Airways and Ryanair have broken consumer law by failing to offer refunds for flights customers could not legally take. The CMA alleges that during periods of lockdown, the airlines refused to give refunds to people that were lawfully unable to fly, with British Airways offering vouchers or rebooking and Ryanair providing the option to rebook. It said it is seeking to resolve its concerns with the companies.
Factory gate prices in China have risen sharply, adding to concerns over global inflation. Prices rose by 9% on an annual basis in May, up from 6.8% in April.
Ferrari has announced the appointment of a new CEO. Benedetto Vigna will join Ferrari on 1 September from STMicroelectronics. John Elkann, the Chairman of Ferrari said that the new CEO's deep understanding of the technologies driving changes in the industry, and his proven innovation, business-building and leadership skills, will further strengthen Ferrari.
SPORT
Football... Wolves have appointed a new manager. Bruno Lage was previously at Portugese club Benfica and has also been on the staff of Sheffield Wednesday and Swansea.
Tennis....Barbora Krejcikova has made it through to the French Open semi-finals after beating Coco Gauff. The final score was 7-6 6-3. She'll play Maria Sakkari who beat defending champion Iga Swiatek.
Cricket... New Zealand captain Kane Williamson will miss the second Test against England because of an elbow issue. Tom Latham will captain the side for the Test.
Olympics... Australia have withdrawn from the final baseball qualifying tournament for the Tokyo Olympics because of Covid-19 concerns. Baseball Australia said that there were "insurmountable" challenges to logistics and safety.
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