French President Emmanuel Macron added one month to a nationwide lockdown.
Macron announced on Monday that the country’s coronavirus stay-at-home order had been extended to May 11 as the virus continues to spread throughout Europe. Macron said that France has seen progress with slowing the spread but that that is no reason to lift the order.
“Over the next four weeks, the rules must be respected,” he explained.
Macron said the four-week extension will give France the ability to test anyone presenting COVID-19 symptoms, which will allow for better containment of the virus. He offered a rough timeline for how the country may reopen, starting with schools in May and ending with restaurants in July.
“We’ll end up winning,” Macron said. “But we’ll need to live with the virus for a few months.”
France first issued the lockdown in mid-March. As of Monday, the nation had nearly 138,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 14,986 related deaths. It is the third-hardest-hit country in Europe behind Spain and Italy.
