PARIS: France will delay relaxing some COVID-19 lockdown restrictions if necessary to stave off a third wave of infections, government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on Wednesday.
France is due to reopen cinemas, theaters and museums and allow citizens to move between regions on Dec. 15, but there are signs it may not meet preconditions to enter into the second phase of rolling back the curbs.
“If we consider that ... we must modify this second phase (of lifting lockdown measures), then of course we will do it,” Attal told CNews television.
President Emmanuel Macron will discuss the matter with senior ministers on Wednesday. He had originally set a target of 5,000 new infections per day and fewer than 3,000 COVID patients in intensive care before the lockdown could be eased.
The numbers in ICU nationwide hover just above 3,000 but are consistently falling. However, the downward trend in infections has flattened, with the number of confirmed new cases rising to above 13,000 on Tuesday.
Health officials acknowledge the 5,000 target is almost certainly beyond reach by Dec. 15.
France to delay easing of coronavirus lockdown if necessary
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France to delay easing of coronavirus lockdown if necessary
- France is due to reopen cinemas, theaters and museums and allow citizens to move between regions on Dec. 15
- Downward trend in infections has flattened, with the number of confirmed new cases rising to above 13,000 on Tuesday
UK wants closer EU defense ties with potential bid to join new SAFE fund
- European Union Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic and other EU officials are due in London for talks this week
- Starmer has tried to work more closely with the EU and remove some post-Brexit trade barriers
BEIJING: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his government will consider applying to join a second possible multi-billion-euro European Union fund for defense projects as his ministers prepare for talks with EU counterparts this week.
The European Commission is considering launching a second edition of its SAFE loans scheme as Europe seeks to bolster its defenses due to growing fears of Russia and doubts about US security commitments to Europe under President Donald Trump.
A British plan to join the original 150 billion-euro ($177 billion) SAFE fund broke down in November after Starmer’s government refused to pay a financial contribution to join, representing a setback for a post-Brexit reset of relations.
Asked if Britain would seek to join a new version of SAFE, Starmer said Europe needed to do more to rearm.
“That should require us to look at schemes like SAFE and others to see whether there is a way in which we can work more closely together,” he told reporters on his way to China last week. The comments were scheduled for release on Sunday.
“Whether it’s SAFE or other initiatives, it makes good sense for Europe in the widest sense of the word — which is the EU plus other European countries — to work more closely together.”
European Union Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic and other EU officials are due in London for talks this week.
Starmer has tried to work more closely with the EU and remove some post-Brexit trade barriers in contrast to the rancorous relations between previous Conservative governments and the EU as they negotiated Britain’s departure from the bloc, which was completed in 2020.
He has also taken a leading role in co-ordinating European support for Ukraine.
Under the SAFE scheme, the EU jointly borrowed money on financial markets to lend to countries in the bloc for defense projects.
Asked about recent criticism from Nigel Farage, whose Reform UK party is leading in the polls, who said the governing Labour government was moving too close to the EU, Starmer said the Brexit campaigner had repeatedly misled the public.
“I wouldn’t listen too much to what Nigel Farage has to say about this,” Starmer said. ($1 = 0.8440 euros)
