Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron announced a second nationwide lockdown from midnight Thursday until December 1, but said schools would remain open.
With over 520 deaths recorded Tuesday, the French leader said the measure would be the only possible way to successfully fight COVID-19.
"I've decided that as of Friday we need to go back to the lockdown that stopped the virus," he said in a nationally televised address.
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All France's restaurants, bars and non-essential businesses were ordered shut down starting Friday, and Macron said people should work from home wherever possible, but said factories, farms and construction sites could continue operating.
He said unlike in the spring, this time nursing homes will remain open to visitors when possible, and cemeteries will be open so that people can hold in-person funerals.
The French government is scheduled to lay out the full details of the new lockdown on Thursday.
More than half the country’s intensive care units are occupied by COVID-19 patients.
French military and commercial planes are ferrying critically ill virus patients to other regions as hospitals fill up.
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Macron said national unity was key to the success of the new lockdown.
"We must, no matter what, remain united with solidarity and not fall into the trap of being divided by poison," he said.
France reported 288 new virus-related deaths in hospitals on Tuesday and 235 deaths in nursing homes over the previous four days.
Both figures marked the biggest such rise since May.
AP
