Macron calls two emergency government meetings as Covid-19 cases rocket in France
France's Elysée Palace announced on Monday evening that the president would host two emergency defence council meetings with ministers in the coming days ahead of a likely toughening of restrictions to battle the "brutal" second wave of coronavirus.
Macron will first meet with ministers in the defence council on Tuesday morning, the Elysée said.
Then throughout the day the French Prime Minister Jean Castex will meet with the leaders of opposition political parties and parliamentary groups, followed by a meeting with union leaders on Tuesday evening.
Macron will hold a second defence council meeting on Wednesday morning, the Elysée said.
The meetings will focus on "the tougher measures under consideration to manage the health crisis," an official in Castex's office told AFP, on condition of anonymity.
Given that the Covid-19 infections have rocketed in France in recent days - new record was set on Sunday with 52,000 cases reported following several days of cases topping 40,000 - the government is almost certain to announce new restrictions in the coming days.
Speculation is growing that despite vowing to do everything possible to avoid a second lockdown, the president may be left with no choice given the rise in hospital patient numbers.
The government meetings follow calls from scientists and health chiefs for tougher measures than the nighttime curfews currently imposed on two thirds of the population.
It's never a good sign when Macron calls a special security council meeting on the Covid-19 crisis... but he's just called for two in the next two days, the Elysée has announced. Given daily cases topped 52,000 yesterday we can expect new measures... https://t.co/AdKyO8wTfa
— Ben McPartland (@McPBen) October 26, 2020
Jean-François Delfraissy, President of the Scientific Council set up to advise the government on their Covid-19 policies said on Tuesday the situation was "critical".
"We knew there would be a second wave, but we have been shocked by the brutality of what's happened in the last 10 to 15 days," he said.
“I don't think we have a choice anymore. We must re-confine," said Eric Caumes, Head of the Infectious Diseases Department at the Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital in Paris on Monday
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Macron will first meet with ministers in the defence council on Tuesday morning, the Elysée said.
Then throughout the day the French Prime Minister Jean Castex will meet with the leaders of opposition political parties and parliamentary groups, followed by a meeting with union leaders on Tuesday evening.
Macron will hold a second defence council meeting on Wednesday morning, the Elysée said.
The meetings will focus on "the tougher measures under consideration to manage the health crisis," an official in Castex's office told AFP, on condition of anonymity.
Given that the Covid-19 infections have rocketed in France in recent days - new record was set on Sunday with 52,000 cases reported following several days of cases topping 40,000 - the government is almost certain to announce new restrictions in the coming days.
Speculation is growing that despite vowing to do everything possible to avoid a second lockdown, the president may be left with no choice given the rise in hospital patient numbers.
The government meetings follow calls from scientists and health chiefs for tougher measures than the nighttime curfews currently imposed on two thirds of the population.
It's never a good sign when Macron calls a special security council meeting on the Covid-19 crisis... but he's just called for two in the next two days, the Elysée has announced. Given daily cases topped 52,000 yesterday we can expect new measures... https://t.co/AdKyO8wTfa
— Ben McPartland (@McPBen) October 26, 2020
Jean-François Delfraissy, President of the Scientific Council set up to advise the government on their Covid-19 policies said on Tuesday the situation was "critical".
"We knew there would be a second wave, but we have been shocked by the brutality of what's happened in the last 10 to 15 days," he said.
“I don't think we have a choice anymore. We must re-confine," said Eric Caumes, Head of the Infectious Diseases Department at the Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital in Paris on Monday
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