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France announces 11 new anti-Covid measures
Changes will impact timing for booster jabs, mask wearing rules and isolation periods
French Prime Minister Jean Castex has tonight (December 27) announced a series of new measures to combat the double wave of Delta and Omicron variants impacting the country.
These include obligatory mask wearing in all town centres, banning the consumption of food and drinks on TGVs and other public transport, limiting large events and reinforcing work from home.
There will, however, be no curfew for New Year’s eve and the return to school, due on January 3, will go ahead as planned.
Mr Castex said: “The fifth wave brought by Delta is far from being finished…And a new wave is sweeping across our continent with the Omicron variant, with 100,000 cases per day [in France].”
Read more: Daily updates on the Covid situation in France
He reiterated that the vaccines were the “decisive element” to stem the spread of the variants and protect people from serious forms of Covid.
Health Minister Olivier Véran, also present at the press conference, said that a fourth vaccination dose was a “possibility”.
“We are working [on this] with our European counterparts, and with Israel, which was the first to start vaccinating. We are totally open to this prospect,” he said.
“If I have to go to the French people and tell them that a new dose is necessary, I will do it,” he added.
11 key points announced by the prime minister:
Ce combat, ensemble, par l’esprit de responsabilité et de solidarité, nous le gagnerons. pic.twitter.com/dook9C9ddd
— Jean Castex (@JeanCASTEX) December 27, 2021
The press conference followed two meetings between President Emmanuel Macron and key ministers earlier today.
A decree declaring a state of health emergency is to be made for the island of Reunion which will be extended in Martinique.
A final point, not mentioned in the press conference, is that all January New Year 'best wishes' meetings, which are traditional in France in businesses, associations and often mairies, are cancelled.
Another ministerial Covid meeting is to take place on January 5.
Related stories:
More cases, fewer deaths: How France’s 5th Covid wave compares so far