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French Defence Council meets today to discuss Covid measures
Topics that are thought to be on the table are extending curfew measures, the reopening (or not) of cafés, restaurants and ski resorts and the slow vaccine roll-out
A conseil de défense (Defence Council) will be held today at 09:00 at the request of President Emmanuel Macron, where the government will discuss future measures relating to Covid-19.
A 18:00 to 06:00 curfew is currently in place in 15 departments in France and this measure could be extended to further areas depending on discussions at the Council.
Another topic of discussion could be the reopening of cafés, restaurants, sports halls, etc. which had been scheduled for January 20, although that now seems unlikely.
The question of fully reopening ski resorts could also be on the table.
“There is no question of reopening and then closing [ski resorts], what we need to do is make a decision for the school holidays,” a government adviser told AFP.
The slow roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccine in France, for which the government has been criticised, could also be debated.
Why France’s Covid-19 vaccine roll-out has started slowly
The meeting comes one day before Prime Minister Jean Castex and Health Minister Olivier Véran are scheduled to speak at a televised press conference, where they will outline any decisions made at the Council.
The last Defence Council was held on December 29, 2020, when the government decided to introduce the extended curfew measures to certain departments.
