Jean Castex announces that the start of the new school year will be maintained, gatherings will be restricted | Today Headlines

Large and limited gatherings, a generalization of teleworking to three days a week when possible… Faced with the deterioration of health in France, the government announced new restrictions on Monday, December 27. On the other hand, he ruled out a postponement of the start of the school year or the establishment of a curfew for the New Year’s festivities.

“To curb the Omicron variant” which is fueling the rise in Covid-19 contaminations, Prime Minister Jean Castex notably announced the return of gauges for large gatherings. They will be set at 2,000 people maximum indoors and 5,000 outdoors as of Monday.

In sports arenas, cultural venues such as cinemas and public transport, the consumption of food and drink will also be prohibited. In bars and cafes, consumption can no longer be done standing up, but only sitting down.

These measures, adopted a few minutes earlier in the Council of Ministers, will apply “from Monday for a period of three weeks,” said Jean Castex.

On the other hand, the government has ruled out a postponement of the start of the school year or the establishment of a curfew, two measures demanded by several members of the opposition and doctors for several days.

Generalize teleworking

The use of telework “will be made compulsory” from the start of the school year “for all employees for whom it is possible”, at a rate of “three days minimum per week and four days when possible”, also announced the Prime Minister .

The Minister of Labor, Élisabeth Borne, will conduct a consultation with the social partners on this subject on Tuesday, added the Prime Minister, specifying that the measure would also take effect “for a period of three weeks”.

Time limit for booster dose reduced to three months

At the same time, the government wants to further accelerate the vaccination booster campaign against Covid-19. From Tuesday, the French will be able to receive their anti-Covid vaccine booster, often referred to as a third dose, three months after their initial vaccination and no longer four months.

From Tuesday, “it will be enough three months after your second injection or your first if you have had the Covid to benefit from your booster”, announced Jean Castex during a press conference following a health defense council.

New isolation rules

The government will also “adjust” the isolation rules for people tested positive for Covid-19 and their “contact cases”, announced for his part Olivier Véran, the Minister of Health. The duration will be specified “by the end of the week,” said Jean Castex.

“The characteristics of Omicron”, a variant of the virus in the process of becoming the majority, “will lead us, after advice from the health authorities, to adjust our doctrine on the duration of isolation”, explained the Prime Minister, adding that the executive “set (a) these new rules by the weekend”.

With AFP