French health minister says new restrictions likely in certain regions
The rapid spread of coronavirus infections in and around the French Mediterranean city of Nice will require further restrictions on movement, Health Minister Olivier Véran said on Saturday.
Véran said decisions about possibly further tightening limits on people's movements will be taken over the weekend.
"There are a few cities and areas in France where the virus is circulating much more quickly than elsewhere and this may require regional lockdown measures," Véran said during a visit to a health centre in Nice.
The French government has used local curfews and lockdowns in other areas but has generally preferred nationwide measures.
"If the government decides we need to go to a partial lockdown, for instance each weekend, I will support it and encourage it," said Christian Estrosi, the conservative mayor of Nice, who accompanied Véran on his visit.
Following its second national lockdown in November, France imposed a nationwide 8 p.m. curfew, which was tightened to 6 p.m. in mid-January.
Véran said that the nationwide trend of coronavirus infections had worsened in recent days.
France reported 24,116 new infections on Friday, an increase of nearly 4,000 on the previous Friday. The seven-day average of new infections rose above 19,000 per day after falling to about 18,300 a week ago.
