The French government wants to extend the state of emergency that was declared for the second time this year in mid-October due to the coronavirus until mid-February.
French media reported that the government is working on a bill to make this possible. This also provides for the possibility of taking emergency measures until April 1, when the new emergency mode has already expired for six weeks.
The government is concerned that the virus is making a strong comeback and is also considering putting entire departments where it would spread quickly into lockdown. It has already been proclaimed in a number of cities.
The death rate in the country of about 63 million inhabitants has not been much higher in recent months than last year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Between May 1 and October 5, 247,613 people died in France, only 1 percent more than last year in that period.
The coronavirus is said to have arrived on January 24 in Bordeaux. Since then, authorities have attributed about 33,885 deaths to the virus. It has now been established more than 930,000 times. Virtually all deaths are among people over the age of 65 (92 percent). The average age of a deceased patient is 84 years.
The strict corona measures mainly affect the younger working population. The statistics bureau estimates that the economy is shrinking 9 percent this year as a result of the corona crisis. By the end of this year, 10 percent of the labour force will be unemployed.