French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe addressed the National Assembly on April 28 with few members present.
Photo: David Niviere/Abaca Press/Zuma PressPARIS—European governments are preparing to unlock the continent’s economy by introducing rules and guidelines that amount to a sweeping reconfiguration of everyday life, from subway seating to classroom size.
Governments from Paris to Madrid are navigating a minefield as they look for ways to revive their economies without triggering a surge in infections. The reopening will be gradual, stretching into the summer, and highly targeted to first benefit regions with fewer infections, European officials say.
Ongoing evaluations of the epidemic, officials say, will determine whether stricter rules need to be reimposed.
Overall, the rules mean an era of European confinement will not end once national lockdowns begin to officially lift in May. Instead, governments are digging in for months to come, crafting changes that are likely to place longer-term strains on social and democratic norms.
In a marathon address to the National Assembly, French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe detailed myriad restrictions on travel, work and social gatherings that will take effect once France’s lockdown lifts on May 11. Only a fraction of the National Assembly was present for Mr. Philippe’s address to allow for sufficient spacing between lawmakers in the cavernous hall. In a symbolic vote Tuesday evening, the body approved wathe address by a margin of 368 to 100.
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“These social rules are complicated,” Mr. Philippe said. “But we can count on the civic spirit of our fellow citizens to apply them rigorously. All of our health depends on it.”
The prime minister said parts of his plan would require new legislation that the government will put to a vote next week. The legislation, he said, would aim to give legal authority to unprecedented government action, such as banning nonessential travel between French departments and the creation of a brigade of health officials to perform contact tracing. That entails finding, testing and isolating everyone potentially infected, some in dedicated hotels.
Spain, Greece and Portugal also announced plans to lift their lockdowns. Starting next week, small retail shops and hairdressers will open in Greece and people will be allowed to enter churches to pray alone. Religious services and some schools will resume activity in mid-May while bars and restaurants that serve clients outside can reopen in June.
Girls playing in front of the Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona on April 28.
Photo: alejandro garcia/epa/ShutterstockSpanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Spain will lift one of the world’s strictest lockdowns in four phases with an aim of reaching a “new normal” by the end of June. On May 4, restaurants can start offering takeout food and people will be allowed to do sports individually, such as cycling or running. A week later, small shops will open.
Authorities across the continent are closely monitoring a metric known as the reproduction number, which charts the speed at which the pathogen spreads in the population. A reproduction number below 1 means the number of infected people in the country at any one time will decrease over time.
The Robert Koch Institute, which advises the German government on infectious diseases and monitors the spread of the novel coronavirus, said on Tuesday the reproduction number in the country had reached 0.96 after falling to 0.7 in mid-April and creeping up ever since.
The figure, an estimate based on a complex mathematical model, is extrapolated from infection numbers going back several weeks and wouldn’t yet reflect any change caused by the recent easing of confinement measures. Germany’s states began relaxing their lockdowns last week, starting with the reopening of smaller stores, to be followed by a return to schools for some children early next month.
President Lothar Wieler said the latest reading should be a warning to Germans to continue to practice social distancing despite the gradual reopening of the economy. New daily confirmed cases in Germany have fallen since peaking at more than 6,000 at the beginning of April and are now oscillating between 1,000 and 2,000.
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As part of its reopening, France plans to extend testing to every person who has symptoms of Covid-19, as well as people they come into contact with. That entails more than 75,000 tests a day, and up to 700,000 a week, Mr. Philippe said.
That will help officials generate an infection heat map. Regions marked “green” will be able to reopen things like public parks and junior high schools more quickly. Regions marked “red” would face greater restrictions.
Under the new system, in-person attendance at preschool and elementary schools will be voluntary—and capped at 15 students per class. Most stores can reopen, but cafes, restaurants, movie theaters and large museums will remain closed. Those who can work from home will be encouraged to continue doing so, and gatherings of more than 10 people will be forbidden.
Mr. Philippe said public transit users will be required to wear masks, and that local officials will determine rules to ensure social distancing, such as marks drawn on train platforms to indicate a safe distance between travelers. Only necessary travel will be permitted more than 62 miles from one’s home.
The rules will remain in place until at least June 2, Mr. Philippe said. After that, a new set of rules will be established that will last until the beginning of summer, with their relaxation depending on the intensity of the epidemic in each region.
“These efforts won’t be in vain and should allow us to arrange for a better summer season,” Mr. Philippe said, though he added that large music festivals and sporting events will remain canceled until fall.
—Sam Schechner contributed to this article.
Write to Stacy Meichtry at stacy.meichtry@wsj.com and Giovanni Legorano at giovanni.legorano@wsj.com
Copyright ©2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
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French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe addressed the National Assembly on April 28 with few members present.
Photo: David Niviere/Abaca Press/Zuma PressPARIS—European governments are preparing to unlock the continent’s economy by introducing rules and guidelines that amount to a sweeping reconfiguration of everyday life, from subway seating to classroom size.
Governments from Paris to Madrid are navigating a minefield as they look for ways to revive their economies without triggering a surge in infections. The reopening will be gradual, stretching into the summer, and highly targeted to first benefit regions with fewer infections, European officials say.
Ongoing evaluations of the epidemic, officials say, will determine whether stricter rules need to be reimposed.
Overall, the rules mean an era of European confinement will not end once national lockdowns begin to officially lift in May. Instead, governments are digging in for months to come, crafting changes that are likely to place longer-term strains on social and democratic norms.
In a marathon address to the National Assembly, French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe detailed myriad restrictions on travel, work and social gatherings that will take effect once France’s lockdown lifts on May 11. Only a fraction of the National Assembly was present for Mr. Philippe’s address to allow for sufficient spacing between lawmakers in the cavernous hall. In a symbolic vote Tuesday evening, the body approved wathe address by a margin of 368 to 100.
Related Video
“These social rules are complicated,” Mr. Philippe said. “But we can count on the civic spirit of our fellow citizens to apply them rigorously. All of our health depends on it.”
The prime minister said parts of his plan would require new legislation that the government will put to a vote next week. The legislation, he said, would aim to give legal authority to unprecedented government action, such as banning nonessential travel between French departments and the creation of a brigade of health officials to perform contact tracing. That entails finding, testing and isolating everyone potentially infected, some in dedicated hotels.
Spain, Greece and Portugal also announced plans to lift their lockdowns. Starting next week, small retail shops and hairdressers will open in Greece and people will be allowed to enter churches to pray alone. Religious services and some schools will resume activity in mid-May while bars and restaurants that serve clients outside can reopen in June.
Girls playing in front of the Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona on April 28.
Photo: alejandro garcia/epa/ShutterstockSpanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Spain will lift one of the world’s strictest lockdowns in four phases with an aim of reaching a “new normal” by the end of June. On May 4, restaurants can start offering takeout food and people will be allowed to do sports individually, such as cycling or running. A week later, small shops will open.
Authorities across the continent are closely monitoring a metric known as the reproduction number, which charts the speed at which the pathogen spreads in the population. A reproduction number below 1 means the number of infected people in the country at any one time will decrease over time.
The Robert Koch Institute, which advises the German government on infectious diseases and monitors the spread of the novel coronavirus, said on Tuesday the reproduction number in the country had reached 0.96 after falling to 0.7 in mid-April and creeping up ever since.
The figure, an estimate based on a complex mathematical model, is extrapolated from infection numbers going back several weeks and wouldn’t yet reflect any change caused by the recent easing of confinement measures. Germany’s states began relaxing their lockdowns last week, starting with the reopening of smaller stores, to be followed by a return to schools for some children early next month.
President Lothar Wieler said the latest reading should be a warning to Germans to continue to practice social distancing despite the gradual reopening of the economy. New daily confirmed cases in Germany have fallen since peaking at more than 6,000 at the beginning of April and are now oscillating between 1,000 and 2,000.
STAY INFORMED
Get a coronavirus briefing six days a week, and a weekly Health newsletter once the crisis abates: Sign up here.
As part of its reopening, France plans to extend testing to every person who has symptoms of Covid-19, as well as people they come into contact with. That entails more than 75,000 tests a day, and up to 700,000 a week, Mr. Philippe said.
That will help officials generate an infection heat map. Regions marked “green” will be able to reopen things like public parks and junior high schools more quickly. Regions marked “red” would face greater restrictions.
Under the new system, in-person attendance at preschool and elementary schools will be voluntary—and capped at 15 students per class. Most stores can reopen, but cafes, restaurants, movie theaters and large museums will remain closed. Those who can work from home will be encouraged to continue doing so, and gatherings of more than 10 people will be forbidden.
Mr. Philippe said public transit users will be required to wear masks, and that local officials will determine rules to ensure social distancing, such as marks drawn on train platforms to indicate a safe distance between travelers. Only necessary travel will be permitted more than 62 miles from one’s home.
The rules will remain in place until at least June 2, Mr. Philippe said. After that, a new set of rules will be established that will last until the beginning of summer, with their relaxation depending on the intensity of the epidemic in each region.
“These efforts won’t be in vain and should allow us to arrange for a better summer season,” Mr. Philippe said, though he added that large music festivals and sporting events will remain canceled until fall.
—Sam Schechner contributed to this article.
Write to Stacy Meichtry at stacy.meichtry@wsj.com and Giovanni Legorano at giovanni.legorano@wsj.com
Copyright ©2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
World - Latest - Google News
April 29, 2020 at 03:07AM
https://ift.tt/2KI9q0W
European Countries Move Closer to Reopening Continent - The Wall Street Journal
World - Latest - Google News
https://ift.tt/2SeTG7d
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