PARIS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th December, 2021) Nightclubs in France will be closed for four weeks starting December 10 amid the expected fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Monday.
"We will close nightclubs for four weeks. This measure will remain in force starting this Friday until the beginning of January. We introduce this measure because the virus largely spreads among young people, even among those who have been vaccinated, and due to the difficulty of wearing masks in such places," Castex said during a press conference.
Castex noted that the increase in the daily rate of positive COVID-19 infections was about 50,000. He highlighted that despite the rise, the situation was different as it had been a year ago, because the French for the most part had been vaccinated. Ho noted that without the vaccination, hospitals would be overcrowded comparable to the time of the first wave of the pandemic.
The official added that France was strengthening sanitary measures among schoolchildren under the age of 12. France is also discussing the possibility to introduce a voluntary vaccination for children aged from 5-11.
Castex also called on companies to provide employees with a possibility to work remotely two-three days a week.
French Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Monday that 25 Omicron coronavirus strain cases had been detected in France. He also noted that studies showed that Omicron was far more contagious than any other strain and France was doing everything to contain its spread.
France is expecting the fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to data from the French Health Ministry, 11,300 positive cases of COVID-19 infection were detected in France. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 113,000 residents have died of coronavirus in the country.
