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News France enters third lockdown - France is set to begin its third lockdown from Saturday 3rd April. French President Emmanuel Macron has opted to extend restrictions already in place in 19 departments of France to the whole of the country in the fight against the current third wave of Covid. The Head of State has said that “if the French are able to make extra efforts during the month of April then mid-May could see the reopening of some cultural establishments as well as the terraces of bars and restaurants”. Closure of schools - Macron announced the closure of schools from tomorrow Friday 2nd April with nursery and primary schools closed for three weeks until April 26th and the closure of college and lycées for four weeks until May 3rd. For employees Macron insisted that “working from home is a must when possible”. Vaccination - The President reiterated that everyone in France over the age of 18 will be able to receive a vaccine "by the end of the summer" if they wish. From April 16th appointments will be opened for those aged 60 to 75. The first appointments for those aged between 50 and 60 will be opened on 15th May and for those under 50 from mid-June. Prime Minister to address French parliament today - Prime Minister Jean Castex is scheduled to make an address to the French parliament on the health situation today. The national assembly and senate will then hold a debate and a vote on health measures. Government spokesperson Gabriel Attal stated that the government will make a decision on whether to postpone local elections in June after consulting political parties. Fines and travel allowed over Easter weekend - More than 480,000 fines related to travel have been issued by police in France since mid-December. Since December 15th and the end of the second lockdown 500,000 fines have been handed out with the majority, 480,664 relating to "travel offenses". Over the Easter weekend Emmanuel Macron has announced that it will be possible to change region, during the day, to spend the next few weeks in a place of your choice”. A tolerance which the Ministry of Interior has said "will stop on Monday evening". From which point travel will be limited everywhere in France to a radius of 10km from your home for daily outings, without certificate and for trips exceeding 10 kilometers, a certificate will be required. On the other hand, the curfew must continue to be respected throughout France from 7pm to 6am as well as the ban on outdoor gatherings of more than 6 people and illegal parties indoors. New variant - Meanwhile Inserm, the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research, has said that a new variant has been discovered. The “Henri-Mondor” variant, named after the hospital in the Paris area where it was discovered, was identified within a cluster made up of three hospital professionals and the spouse of one of the three. Inserm said the variant "is now actively circulating in France". In the four weeks which followed its discovery, the new variant was found in 29 patients of various geographical origins in the Île-de-France, South-East and South-West of France. New studies will be necessary to know if the variant is more, as much, or less contagious than the other known variants and if vaccines and antiviral treatments are effective. In other news French farmer has case dismissed - High court judges have dismissed the case against a farmer who transported nearly 200 migrants from Italy to his home in the Alpes-Maritimes region. 41-year-old Cédric Herrou, had been prosecuted for bringing migrants over the border in 2016 and organising a reception camp on his land near Breil-sur-Roya. He was initially fined, but the punishment was upgraded in 2017 to four months in jail. Strike action - Public transport is expected to be disrupted in the region tomorrow Friday 2nd April due to nationwide strike action. There will be no trams operating in Nice and many bus routes of the Lignes d’Azur network will be disrupted. Some bus services in Antibes and Sophia Antipolis are also expected to be affected. Ready for takeoff? - One way to avoid lockdown would be to go into space? As the recruitment campaign for European astronauts has opened this week. Candidates have until May 28th to submit their application online, before the selection procedure begins which will end in October 2022 with the hiring of four to six future astronauts. Applicants must have a master's degree in a scientific field, or a medical degree, and three years of professional experience. The age limit is 50. Fluent English is required and fluency in a second language is an asset. A medical certificate similar to that required of a professional pilot must also be provided. The previous search for astronauts, in 2008, had seen seven lucky winners, including Thomas Pesquet. Business President Biden has called for trillions of dollars in spending aimed at re-igniting America’s economic growth by upgrading infrastructure and tackling climate change. Mr Biden’s $2.3 trillion proposal would direct billions into initiatives such as charging stations for electric vehicles and eliminating lead water pipes. The mass spending plan would be partially offset by raising taxes on businesses. Mr Biden‘s plans have already attracted fierce opposition. Republicans have called the plan a recipe for “stagnation and decline” while business lobby groups say they support the investments but would oppose tax increases. The programme which will need to be approved by Congress is likely to face a tough fight if it’s to become law. Mr Biden wants to see the corporate tax rate increase from 21% to 28%. He acknowledged that his plans are unpopular in some sections of American society and said that he was open to other ideas when it came to paying for the spending. Shares in Deliveroo have plunged on their stock market debut after a number of major UK investors expressed concerns about the firm’s employment model. Shares in the food delivery business had been offered to investors at 390p each but |
