By Oisin Sweeney • Published: 19 Nov 2020 • 18:03
FRANCE is unlikely to ease lockdown restrictions for the Christmas period despite calls from retailers.
French President Emmanuel Macron and his top Ministers have met to discuss the possibility of easing lockdown measures, though a government spokesman said it is unlikely in near future.
Senior French lawmakers are contemplating reducing restrictions on December 1st ‘if conditions allow it’, though a spokesman warned that ‘we are not at all near ending the lockdown, we’re still far from it even.’
The country entered its second national lockdown on October 30th when cases nationwide soared to between 50 and 60 thousand daily infections. On Tuesday a far lower 12587 cases were recorded, though President Macron has said that the number must fall below 5000 before restrictions can be significantly reduced.
Retailers are calling on the government to reopen businesses in time for the 27th of November ‘Black Friday’, which kicks off the Christmas sales season. They fear that if physical stores remain closed their business will be lost to online retailers like Amazon.
Finance Minister Bruno Le Mairie has called on retailers, including online vendors, to postpone Black Friday. France’s Mayors Association has asked that businesses reopen gradually to ‘avoid a rush of clients ahead of Christmas time’.
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Oisin is an Irish writer based in Seville, the sunny capital of Andalucia. After starting his working life as a bookseller, he moved into journalism and cut his teeth as a reporter at one of Ireland's biggest news websites. Since joining Euro Weekly News in November, he has enjoyed covering the latest stories from Seville, Spain and further afield - with special interests in crime, cybersecurity, and European politics. Anyone who can pronounce his name first try gets a free cerveza...
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