France is to extend its Covid-19 curfew to a further eight departments, the country’s prime minister, Jean Castex, said on Saturday, citing a “tough and necessary” response as some opposed the restrictions in several cities.
France has been increasing its anti-virus restrictions in the face of rising cases and imposed a post-New Year curfew on 15 of its 101 departments, Agence France-Presse reports.
The country has recorded about 67,000 deaths to date from some 2.7m cases and the R value is rising.
The new departments likely to be subject to an earlier curfew are primarily in the east of the country, including Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin and Côte d’Or, as well as the central one of Cher.
Castex highlighted the southern port of Marseille, France’s second largest city, where local politicians of all stripes have voiced opposition to extending the partial lockdown and questioned its effectiveness.
“In reality we are applying the same criteria to Marseille as we apply elsewhere,” he said, confirming the earlier lockdown would be extended to eight departments including the Bouches-du-Rhone, which includes Marseille.
“Everybody is conscious of the epidemic not weakening or that on the contrary it is growing stronger in some areas,” he said.
Castex also defended the government’s vaccine rollout strategy, criticised in some quarters for its slow start. “The objective is to go quickly, [but] do it in absolutely irreproachable security conditions.”
Opinion polls show around half the French population are sceptical about having the jab, notably more than in neighbouring countries.
