Nurseries, kindergartens and schools in two areas worst affected by the coronavirus will be closed for two weeks starting Monday, French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe announced Friday as the death toll from the virus rose to nine with 613 confirmed cases in France.
Starting Monday, nurseries, kindergartens and schools in the northern Oise and the northeastern Haut-Rhin will be closed for 14 days, said Philippe on Friday, following a spike in coronavirus cases.
Philippe noted that while children were more immune to the infection, the measures were being taken to “curb the spread of the virus”.
Despite the new measures, France maintained its coronavirus alert level warning to 2 since the virus was present in some areas and not across the country, explained the PM.
The prime minister’s announcement came hours after President Emmanuel Macron urged the French to limit visits to elderly people, who are most vulnerable to a coronavirus infection.
Macron admitted this could prove “heartbreaking” at times but said the measure was simply one of common sense. He emphasised that young people should not be visiting the old because “as we know, they (the young) transmit the virus a lot”.
Those who died in France so far have been old with pre-existing conditions.
Via France 24
