French President Macron could announce a new nationwide lockdown tomorrow evening as a growing wave of anti-lockdown protests sweep Europe.
The French government is envisaging a month-long national lockdown to combat the coronavirus resurgence which could take effect from midnight on Thursday, France’s BFM TV reported today.
Macron is due to make a televised address at 8pm tomorrow which could see a national lockdown put in place, or a host of local measures and curfews extended.
His office did not comment on whether Macron would announce such a measure then.
Customers are seen outside ‘Le recrutement’ restaurant few minutes before the nightly curfew imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus in Paris, France, October 27
Passengers wearing protective masks walk in the corridors of the Paris metro shortly before the 9pm city-wide night time curfew, October 27
French President Emmanuel Macron will make a televised address tomorrow
The national lockdown under consideration would be ‘more flexible’ than the strict restrictions on movement imposed in France in March this year, reported BFM TV.
France has had a big spike in the number of daily deaths from COVID-19, recording an additional 523 deaths in 24 hours this evening, the highest daily death total since April.
The French government also reported an additional 33,417 new infections.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told French citizens to ‘expect difficult decisions’ ahead of the announcement tomorrow by Macron.
Macron is hosting two emergency Defense Council meetings to discuss further restrictions against a second wave of the virus.
Protests erupted across Italy and Spain last night as thousands of angry demonstrators called on their Governments to reconsider a second-round of lockdown restrictions. Vast crowds gathered on the streets of Barcelona with angry protesters setting dustbins on fire (pictured)
The number of people currently hospitalized has increased by 1,194 from Monday to Tuesday, bringing the total to 18,978.
French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said: ‘Nobody disagrees with our objective, which is to absolutely prevent our hospitals being in a situation where they can’t admit new patients.’
Whilst France’s 9pm curfews imposed on many of the largest cities including Paris, Saint-Etienne, Toulouse and Lyon, has kept anti-lockdown protests at bay, other European cities have seen demonstrators turn violent.
In Italy, violence was reported in at least two major northern cities, Milan and Turin, as vast crowds protested freedom-limiting restrictions enforced to tackle a second surge in coronavirus cases.
A wave of anti-lockdown protests have swept Europe as governments impose harsher lockdowns to curb the resurgence of coronavirus
A far right demonstrator holds an Italian flag during a protest over the restrictions put in place to curb the coronavirus disease infections in Rome, Italy, tonight
People light flares as they protest against the government restriction measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, in Rome tonight
March and protests against the new provisions for the fight against covid in Rome, tonight
Witnesses said a number of luxury stores, including a Gucci shop, were ransacked in central Turin as crowds of youths took to the streets after nightfall, letting off huge firecrackers and lighting coloured flares.
In Milan at least 28 people were arrested after protesters threw Molotov cocktails at police in the capital of Lombardy, the original epicentre of the virus in Italy which is now seeing a resurgence of cases.
Meanwhile in Barcelona, demonstrators set rubbish bins on fire in the streets – before riot police intervened to bring the chaos to an end.
The demonstrations came just one day after Spain declared a second nationwide state of emergency covering all regions except the Canary Islands.
Demonstrations against the restrictions the national and local government have put in place to contain the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic in Naples, Italy, October 26
In Turin, witnesses said a number of luxury stores, including a Gucci shop (pictured), were ransacked as crowds of youths took to the streets after nightfall, letting off huge firecrackers and lighting coloured flares