UPDATE: The latest information on the coronavirus crisis in France

French PM unveils detailed plan for life after lockdown

France will begin a gradual but "risky" return to normality on May 11, with shops, markets and some schools reopening after an eight-week coronavirus lockdown credited with saving over 60,000 lives, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said Tuesday.

But life will not be as before, with face masks compulsory on public transport, working from home strongly encouraged for several more weeks, and restaurants and cafes -- quintessential to the French way of life -- remaining shuttered.

The French people "will have to learn to live with the virus", said Philippe, urging strict, ongoing respect of social distancing and personal hygiene measures to limit new infections to a minimum, with no vaccine or 
proven treatment yet available.

At the same time, France could not afford an "indefinite" lockdown, said Philippe. 

Non-essential businesses have been closed since March 17, and people confined to their homes except for urgent business.

"We must protect the French without immobilising France to the point that it collapses," Philippe told the National Assembly, which must vote on his proposed measures.

It is necessary, the premier said, to "gradually, cautiously, but also resolutely proceed with lifting the lockdown, as long-awaited as it is risky."

Main points: 

• No permission slip needed for trips outside home after May 11th...
• .. As long as you are not travelling more than 100km from home
• Long distance travel in France allowed only for essential reasons
• France to carry out 700,000 tests a week after May 11th
• Those who test positive must be isolated for 14 days either at home or in special accommodation
• Masks will be made compulsory in some sectors, for example on the metro and in secondary schools
• Everyone working from home should continue to do so
• Crèches to reopen, but with max 10 children in each group
• Maximum 15 pupils in each school class
• Shops to reopen 
• Bars, restaurants, cinemas and beaches to remain closed
• Public and private gatherings of up to 10 people allowed
• No religious ceremonies before June
• BUT, rules may vary between départements 
• French football, rugby seasons cannot resume until the end of the summer
• Face masks obligatory on public transport
• Workers encouraged to continue working from home

The prime minister warned the lockdown could be extended at the last minute, and urged people to continue observing confinement rules so as not to unleash a new infection wave.

Red and green 'weather map' to determine how some restrictions are eased

When presenting the detailed nationwide plan for how France will begin to lift its lockdown measures from May 11th, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe introduced a new concept - red départements and green départements.

Not previously discussed by the government, this idea is based on looser restrictions for départements where there are fewer cases of coronavirus and where local health services are coping well and tighter restrictions for areas where the virus is still prevalent and hospitals under pressure.

REVEALED The plan for life in France after May 11th

There have been huge disparities in case numbers across France, with thousands of people dying in Paris and in the east of the country while several départements have recorded fewer than 10 deaths. Most of the south west of the country for example has largely been spared.

The government has therefore decided that it makes sense for areas with fewer cases to be allowed to do things like reopen parks and secondary schools, while areas with a high number of cases will have more restrictions.

To this end, every one of France's 96 mainland départements as well as its overseas territories will be given a designation - red or green.

Starting on Thursday, France's Director General of Health Jérome Salomon, who has become a well-known figure in the country with his calm and measured nightly briefings on coronavirus death tolls and hospital patient numbers, will also present every evening an inventory of the situation in each département.

READ MORE: The 'weather map' that will show how each area of France can lift its lockdown

What's the plan for schools?

May 11th

This is the date when pre-school (maternelles) and primary schools (élémentaire, primaire) will reopen, although the first day will be just for the return of teachers.

Pupils won't return until May 12th.

Classes will be limited to groups of 15 and the reopening will be based on a "voluntary" system.

In other words parents won't be forced to put their kids back in schools, but they will have to ensure they can follow teaching from home.

If classes are oversubscribed the children of keyworkers, vulnerable children or children who are not able to home-school will get priority.

Initially the government's plan was to allow only certain classes to return to pre-school and primary schools on May 11th with the rest to return on May 25th.

But this split has been scrapped in favour of bringing all year groups in the schools back at once.

It's worth adding however that many mayors have already objected to primary schools reopening on May 11th and have threatened to keep them closed.

Teaching unions too have expressed opposition especially in areas hard-hit by the virus such as Paris.

"We are asking for details on the health protocol," said Francette Popineau from the SNUipp-FSU union.

"We also need to be very clear, if a school cannot meet all the sanitary requirement, it must not reopen," she added.

Local authorities have the final say, so it might be the case that come May 11th not all primary and pre-schools in all parts of the country actually reopen.

Nurseries

Creches will also be able to reopen on May 11th, but children will only be allowed in groups of 10 maximum.

May 18th

From May 18th secondary schools (colleges) will be able to reopen in France. But unlike the reopening of primary schools, this will be based on the government's new "weather map" system for each département.

Départements will be coloured red if the virus is still prevalent in the area and hospitals are still under pressure and they will be coloured green if the area is largely free of the virus.

READ ALSO The 'weather map' that shows how each area of France can lift its restrictions

Only secondary schools in the départements coloured green will be allowed to reopen and it won't be all classes. Only years 5 and 6 will return on May 18th. A decision will be taken at the end of May for years 4 and 3.

Class sizes will also be limited to 15 pupils.

'By the end of May'

Initially the government aimed for high-schools (lycées) and technical colleges (lycée professionels) to reopen on May 25th but the government has now changed tack.

French PM Philippe said a decision will be taken by the end of May as to when lycées will reopen again. If the government gives the green light then these establishments could reopen in June starting with the technical colleges.

Classes will also be limited to 15 so many pupils may have to continue distance learning.

“I want to leave the maximum amount flexibility to school directors, parents of pupils and local communities to work together pragmatically to find the best solutions”, said PM Philippe.

READ ALSO: The essential language you need to understand the French school system

Summer holidays

After much speculation that France's sacrosanct summer holidays (grandes vacances) could be delayed until later in the summer, France's education minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said on Wednesday that they won't be altered.

So schools will break up for the summer on Saturday, July 4th.

Masks

Education Minister Blanquer has made it clear that all staff working in schools and nurseries will be required to wear masks.

However only pupils in secondary schools (colleges) will be forced to wear them. Masks will be made available in schools if pupils don't bring their own.

The government has decided that it would be counter-productive to force primary and pre-school pupils to wear masks.

Teachers

Teachers with "health vulnerabilities" would be able to remain on télétravail (working from home).

And what's the plan in Paris?

The city's mayor Anne Hidalgo has laid out the extra measures she wants to take to keep Parisians safe once the lockdown starts being gradually lifted from May 11th.

Masks would be compulsory on all public transport. This may end up being government policy too - the health minister said on Sunday that it was "likely" - but if not, Paris would do it anyway.

Valérie Pécrresse, head of Île-de-France Mobilites, backed this, saying: "I have asked the government to make the wearing of masks compulsory on public transport at the time of the deconfinement."

The mayor also wants to create a network of hand gel dispensers, particularly on public transport such as at bus and tram stops.

The city's crowded Metro system is probably going to prove the most challenging area to respect social distancing in, even with masks and hand gel, so the mayor wants as few people as possible to use it.

Instead she plans to increase cycle lanes, particularly along existing Metro routes.

READ MORE: How Paris is planning for life after lockdown

How bad has the economy been hit?

As it stands, France’s GDP is expected to drop by 8 percent in 2020. Most economists agree that France is set for its biggest economic downturn since 1945. 

“There’s an overall consensus among economists that the recession will be worse than in 2008,” said Anne-Laure Delatte, an economist who works as a researcher at the French institutes CNRS (Centre national de la recherche scientifique) and CEPII (Centre d’études prospectives et d’informations internationales).

The 2008 crash - the most powerful jolt to the global financial system in modern times, with disastrous ripple effects on national level - was caused by the real estate bubble bursting, pushing the world banking system to the brink of collapse.

This time, the shock to the economy is caused by something more tangible - the nationwide lockdown which has halted vast numbers of the country's businesses.

 “People stop consuming and companies stop investing. It’s a vicious circle that amplifies the crisis and makes this a problem that is very difficult to address, ” Delatte said.

READ MORE: Just how bad will France's economy be hit by coronavirus epidemic?

French police hand out 900,000 fines

Unlike many other European countries, France has not closed its border, but from April 6th anyone entering the country requires a permission form.

Anyone who wants to travel within France already need to have a signed, timed and dated "attestation" with them, but now these will be required to enter the country as well.

Ten million workers on 'partial unemployment'

France has unveiled a package of measures that offer support to self-employed people and small businesses.

READ ALSO: What is 'chômage partiel' in France and how can I access it?

New testing strategy

The French health minister also said the country had ordered 5 million coronavirus tests that will be able to show a positive or negative result within 15 minutes.

Between now and the end of April France will be able to carry out 30,000 more tests a day. That number will rise to 60,000 in May and 100,000 a day by June, said Olivier Veran.

France currently carries out around 12,000 tests a day.

Coronavirus testing in France: Who will be tested under the new strategy?

"Taking anti-inflammatories (ibuprofen, cortisone...) could be an aggravating factor for the infection," Véran tweeted.

"In case of fever take paracetamol. If you are already on a course of anti-inflammatories or if you are in doubt then consult your doctor," Véran added on Twitter.

His advice has now been backed by the World Health Organisation.

France has also set up an online site for those worried they may have coronavirus.

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