Cases Of COVID-19 Infections Increasing Rapidly, France Isolating 16 Regions For A Month Starting Today

Paris illustration. (Wikimedia Commons / Edisonblus)

JAKARTA - French authorities have decided to close 16 regions in the Country of Fashion, along with fears of the 3rd wave of COVID-19 due to the rapidly increasing cases of COVID-19 infection.

The area to be isolated includes the entire ile-de-France region which includes Paris and northern France. As well as the Alpes-Maritimes region, where Nice is located. Travel from isolated areas will be prohibited.

In isolated areas, schools will remain open, but secondary schools will be limited to half capacity as part of a precautionary measure. Non-essential shops will have to close, while bookstores will be allowed to remain open in locked areas.

During isolation, people will be able to walk around and exercise indefinitely, but must have a form of justification and remain within 10 kilometers of their home. Nationally, France will move the curfew from 6pm to 7pm starting this Saturday.

Citing a study from the Pasteur Institute, Prime Minister Jean Castex said half of workplace contamination was caused by people who went to work despite symptoms. He pleaded with people to work from home for at least four out of five days.

"The situation in France is getting worse because the British variant now accounts for 75 percent of all COVID-19 cases in France. The acceleration of the virus looks like the 3rd wave, when the country is approaching nearly 100,000 deaths due to COVID-19," Castex explained to Euronews.

So far, 5.5 million people in the country have received the first injection, representing about 8.3% of the total population. By summer, France hopes to vaccinate 30 million people.

Starting Friday, France will continue vaccination using the AstraZeneca vaccine, after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) announcement, the vaccine is suitable for use. According to the BBC, Prime Minister Jean Castex will get the vaccine soon, to prove that it's okay.

Previously, France had suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine after a number of cases of blood clots in Europe developed after the vaccine.