Lunchtime News Monday 15th June 2020

Shooting in Nice - There have been more shootings in the Liserons district of Nice with three men suffering from gun wounds on Sunday night. Gunshots were reported at around 11 p.m. and a large number of police and gendarmes were deployed to the northeastern part of the city, known for drug trafficking. Six people are currently in police custody.

Last Thursday, a 19-year-old boy was admitted to intensive care after being stabbed in the area following the firing of gunshots.

Warning on spread of a species of tick - A veterinarian acarologist from the CIRAD in Montpellier has warned about the concerning spread of a species of tick which could be potentially fatal for humans.

Hyalomma marginatum, is a tick, recognizable by its striped legs, which is starting to spread in certain areas of France notably in the Pyrénées-Orientales, south of the Ardèche, and even north of the Gard.

It’s dangerous because it could potentially carry the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus. A disease that can be fatal for humans. For the time being this infection, which has been identified in Turkey and Spain has never been identified in France.

Lockdown measures fully lifted - French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that coronavirus lockdown measures are to be fully lifted in mainland France. Paris and the Ile-de-France region will move into the "green zone" from today, allowing the capital's bars and restaurants to reopen. All schools, except high schools, are to reopen from 22nd June. 

In a televised address to the nation on Sunday evening, Macron said that France has marked its "first victory" in the fight against the coronavirus, even if the struggle is not over.

Overseas territories of Mayotte and French Guiana will remain at the "orange" alert level, with highs number of cases still posing a threat to strained hospital systems.

Family visits will also be allowed from today at retirement homes, which have been hit especially hard by the Covid-19 outbreak.

The president also confirmed that the second-round of local elections originally set for March, would go ahead as planned on June 28. But mass gatherings will remain "tightly controlled" for now.

Emmanuel Macron also said that taxes would not be increased to finance the 500 billion euros of expenditure due to the coronavirus crisis.  

The President also addressed the #BlackLivesMatter movement, as he vowed to stand firm against racism, but insisted that France wouldn't take down statues of controversial, colonial-era figures.

The President’s comments come after police clashed with activists protesting in Paris against racism and alleged police brutality.

The rally was part of a worldwide movement inspired by America's Black Lives Matter protests.

About 15,000 anti-racism protesters gathered on the Place de la République in central Paris early on Saturday afternoon.

They chanted slogans such as "No justice, no peace". Some climbed on the statue of Marianne, the symbol of the French Republic.

Travel - Belgium, France and Greece will re-establish free movement from this morning with all EU countries. Greece, whose economy is largely based on tourism, goes even further and invites travellers from several regions outside the EU - such as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, and China. Germans and Austrians will wait until midnight tonight before opening borders to the rest of Europe.

However, restrictions have been maintained for travellers from European destinations where the infection rate is still considered too high. Each country has composed a list of risk areas. Sweden and Great Britain are included and in some cases Spain and Portugal. Either travel to or from these destinations is prohibited, or a 14-day self-isolation period is required.

France has warned that it will apply similar measures to countries imposing restrictions on its nationals.

Coronavirus - Meanwhile the latest coronavirus figures announced by France’s Health Minister on Sunday have shown that France registered fewer than 10 new deaths in 24 hours due to Covid-19.

Nine new deaths were recorded in hospital in 24 hours, the lowest figure since mid-March, bringing the total death toll to 29,407 since the start of the epidemic.

The number of serious cases of Covid-19 requiring hospitalization in intensive care continues to drop, with 869 patients, 2 less than the previous day.

160th anniversary - 21 cannon blasts have been heard throughout Nice to mark 160th anniversary of Nice becoming part of France. On Sunday morning at 10.30am the cannon was fired, to mark June 14th, 1860, which was when the county of Nice officially joined the Alpes Maritimes region with the French flag replacing the Sardinian flag.