The essentials

Coronavirus information :

Follow the evolution of COVID-19 in France from this map

Confirmed cases, hospitalizations, resuscitations, returns home and deaths in hospital: official figures every day.

Monday 11/05/20

• First day of deconfinement in France! All businesses (except bars and restaurants) reopened this morning, respecting barrier gestures and physical distance as much as possible. And many French people returned to their favorite stores.
• Masks mandatory on public transport throughout France. It's something that's going to become a habit, wearing a mask on public transport or in shopping malls.
• Do masks have to be worn in the street? Some municipalities, such as Nice, are trying to introduce bylaws making it compulsory to wear masks in public places.

Thursday 07/05/20

• 13 points to remember from the government's May 11 deconfinement announcements :
  • France divided into 2 colors: green and red. The vast majority of France is green for this decontamination, but the departments of the Ile-de-France, Haut-de-France and Grand-Est regions are red... And so will not be able to decontaminate in the same way. The island of Mayotte also remains red, and its decontamination date has even been postponed.
  • Ile-de-France under particular scrutiny. Although decontamination is deemed possible in the Paris region, the Prime Minister has announced the need for "reinforced discipline", particularly in the transport sector.
  • Screening and isolation: the government has reiterated that anyone showing symptoms should call a doctor, who can prescribe a test. While awaiting the results, isolation will be enforced until 48 hours after the end of symptoms.
  • Case-contacts: if you have been in contact with someone who has tested positive, you will be contacted and asked to remain in isolation. You will be tested 7 days after the last contact with the positive person. You will then be isolated for a further 7 days (even if your test is negative).
  • Schools: the key point to remember is that the State will not impose the reopening of schools on a mayor who does not wish to do so for health reasons.
  • Travel: authorized within a radius of 100km "as the crow flies" (possibly more if remaining in the same département). If this radius is exceeded, a new certificate will be required (for compelling family or professional reasons).
  • Transport in the IDF: to avoid passenger flows at peak times, priority access to transport will be given to people holding a certificate from their employer.
  • Mandatory masks on public transport: as announced, masks will be mandatory on public transport, to complement the physical distancing measures put in place by transport networks.
  • Telecommuting is to be preferred wherever possible.
  • Same conditions for visiting EHPAD as for confinement.
  • Opening of beaches: mayors of communes can submit a request to their prefect, presenting a plan to ensure that the physical distance is respected.
  • All businesses can reopen (except bars and restaurants). Large shopping centers may also reopen with the agreement of the prefect, except in the Paris region.
  • Closed borders outside the EU: for travel outside Europe, the rule remains the ban, and no changes are expected for the time being.

Tuesday 05/05/20

• Government confirms beach closures until June 2. Despite the green color of some coastal departments, the beaches will still not be open to the public until June 2 (at least) because " they are difficult to monitor and control" 
• How do you explain the virus to children?
  

Monday 04/05/20

• National decontamination protocol for companies to ensure employee health and safety. Here are the conditions to be met by companies wishing to welcome their employees back. At this stage, the government is encouraging companies to favor telecommuting wherever possible.
• Health emergency law extended to July 24: This text will detail the conditions for quarantining and isolating infected people (to be examined by the Senate today and tomorrow).
• Angry pharmacists and healthcare professionals: While France was still short of masks just a few days ago, hundreds of thousands of masks are now being sold to the general public...

Thursday 30/04/20

• Lily of the valley on May 1st : Florists are allowed to sell lilies of the valley in front of their stores on May 1st.
• Importing masks : France will be importing 150 million masks a week from China from mid-May, to supplement domestic production.
• No StopCovid application before mid-May: says Orange, which is heavily involved in the project.
• Is your department in red or green? Starting today, Professor Jérôme Salomon will be announcing the status of each French department, using a color code. This color code will be decisive in defining the level of decontamination in the coming days.
• AlloCovid the voice assistant to diagnose Covid-19: 0 806 800 540 (free service). Chat with a robot equipped with artificial intelligence and find out, based on the symptoms described, whether you are likely to be a carrier of the Covid-19 virus. A suitable medical referral is then proposed. The telephone platform can also identify where the epidemic is spreading, based on the caller's zip code.

Wednesday 29/04/20

• Beware of scams: No! Santé publique France is not offering free containment kits for the Covid crisis. This is a scam to steal your personal and banking information. Don't respond and report it!
• A vaccine for 2021?" We hope to have a vaccine in phase 1 trials within the next few months, with a view to developing a vaccine by the first quarter of 2021. "Frédérique Vidal, French Minister for Higher Education, Research and Innovation, assures us.
• Practical question: do we clean up as usual in confinement? Answers here
  

Tuesday 28/04/20

• The 8 things to remember from the Prime Minister's address to the Assemblée Nationale :
  • Masks for everyone: " There will be enough masks in the country to meet the needs from May 11 onwards "says Edouard Philippe.
  • 700,000 virological tests in May: public, private and veterinary laboratories will join the collective effort... Not yet pharmacies...
  • StopCovid app to be put to the vote: it's already causing a stir even though it's still in the development phase, and won't be used until it's been debated and voted on". specific" .
  • Map of departments: " department by department, we will check that we can launch [deconfinement] operations on this May 11 date." . Based on three criteria (contamination rate, hospital intensive care capacity, local screening system), each département will be assigned a color and will be subject to more or less strict decontamination.
  • Progressive reopening of schools: nursery and primary schools on a voluntary basis. Secondary schools from May 18 in the least-affected departments. The decision on high schools will be taken at the end of May.
  • Cafés and restaurants closed at least until June 2: while other businesses will be able to reopen under certain conditions, cafés and restaurants will have to wait for a decision to be taken at the end of May.
  • Mandatory wearing of masks in transport: reduced capacity and mandatory wearing of masks in transport, the government urges caution.
  • A very gradual return to social life: while museums, theaters and cinemas are expected to remain closed for the time being, the Prime Minister has announced that from May 11, " it will once again be possible to travel freely without a certificate, except for journeys of more than 100 km from home for compelling family or professional reasons" 

Monday 27/04/20

• Masks in pharmacies : it's the news of the weekend! A order published in the Journal Officiel authorizes the sale of masks to the general public in pharmacies from Monday April 27, at a price not exceeding 5 euros each and available without prescription.
• Deconfinement plan : Edouard Philippe will present the deconfinement plan to the French National Assembly tomorrow (Tuesday) at 3 pm.
• What to do during confinement
  

Friday 24/04/20

• masks will be compulsory on public transport said Emmanuel Macron. The government is currently getting organized to implement these measures, more details in the coming days.
• Mask distribution from May 4. The French government will begin distributing masks to the general public from May 4, and is studying several distribution methods.
• How to wash your hands properly Answers in pictures.
  

Thursday 23/04/20

• How do you prepare meals these days? How to prepare meals during confinement? Wash your hands, leave your shopping aside for a few hours, prepare your food properly... Here are a few tips.
  
• COVID-19 fact-checking by Agence France Presse. The new coronavirus is generating a steady stream of false information on social networks. Agence France Presse explains what's real and what's not here.

Wednesday 22/04/20

• Ten million French people on short-time working. That's what Muriel Penicaud announced today. This represents more than one private-sector employee in two. It should be noted that these short-time working procedures have so far limited the increase in Pôle emploi registrations, while hiring is falling.
• No confirmation that the café-bars-restaurants will reopen on June 15. The hotel-restaurant sector has been hard hit by the COVID-19 crisis, with many businesses going out of business, and will have to wait a little longer to see the end of the tunnel and a date for reopening.
• Mask production : As the need to wear masks increases, and the date for decontamination approaches, dozens of French companies are working to supply masks to the general public.
  
• What to do with waste contaminated or likely to be contaminated by the Coronavirus? If you're ill and living at home, here's how to dispose of your waste.
  

Tuesday 21/04/20

• Valérie Pécresse wants teleworking to be maintained". at least until summer " : In order to comply with safety instructions, particularly on public transport after May 11th, the President of the Île-de-France Region is asking that teleworking be extended at least until the summer, so as not to overload transport and thus help to respect safety distances.
• Non-Schengen flights will not reopen from May 11: announced the French Minister for Ecology and Transport, Elisabeth Borne, reminding us that ". the priority is public transport to get to work every day" 
• WHO calls for gradual lifting of containment: " Containment measures have proved effective, and populations must be prepared to adapt to new ways of living in order to control the coronavirus. "announced the WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific.

Monday 20/04/20

• Following the lengthy press conference with Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and Olivier Veran, Minister of Solidarity and Health, here are 10 points to remember:
  • " the life before "will not return probably not for a long time "announced Edouard Philippe.
  • The decontamination plan is currently being drawn up: details will be announced by the Prime Minister in the coming weeks.
  • EHPAD: visits can resume! This was an important point for EHPAD residents and their families alike. Visits will be able to resume, but under very strict conditions, specific to each EHPAD.
  • Teleworking: it must continue after May 11. The Prime Minister invites all workers who have managed to continue teleworking to do so.
  • School reopenings: everything will be specified in the next few days, but the government is considering reopening schools by territory and by half-class.
  • Reopening of shops: for those shops that will be able to reopen on May 11, instructions will be very strict to ensure compliance with barrier gestures and social distancing, or physical distancing as the Prime Minister has called it.
  • 17 million masks a week: that's France's production target from May 11.
  • 500,000 tests a week: that's the government's target from the start of decontamination.
  • Foreign travel: " I'm afraid it's unreasonable to imagine traveling far abroad very soon. "said Edouard Philippe, not least because he is " not sure that air transport will be able to resume in good conditions quickly" .
  • " Overall compliance with containment was very satisfactory" according to the Prime Minister, who nonetheless pointed out that the forces of law and order had achieved " 13.5 million checks and more than 800,000 offences detected" .

Friday 17/04/20

• How to deal with the Coronavirus? Whether you have symptoms or not, here are the right behaviours to adopt

Thursday 16/04/20

• Why is containment essential in the fight against COVID-19? Government video response
• A €500 to €1,500 bonus promised to caregivers : is what the government has announced for caregivers fighting against COVID-19.
• Eighteen million people are expected to remain indoors after May 11: at least, that's what Jean-François Delfraissy, Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board, argued before the French Senate. It targets the most vulnerable, i.e. the over 65/70s, but also people with long-term illnesses, as well as young people with pathologies and obese people.

Wednesday 15/04/20

• 1 million COVID-19 cases in Europe. To date, the virus has claimed 124,000 lives worldwide.
• Stress during confinement : The confinement caused by the COVID-19 crisis can create stress and anxiety. Here are a few practical tips to improve your daily life.
  
• What does herd immunity mean? This infographic from Le Parisien gives a better understanding of the concept.

Tuesday 14/04/20

• Confinement extended to May 11, 2020: following his speech on Monday April 13, 2020, the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, indicated an extension of strict confinement until May 11.
  
• Progressive reopening of schools from May 11th :At the same time, it was announced that kindergartens, elementary school, collèges and lycées would gradually reopen from May 11. With regard to after-school classes, a resumption is planned for September.

Friday 10/04/20

• 3-day weekend: confinement is still in force! On the eve of the Easter weekend, law enforcement agencies are reminding us that everyone in the country must respect the principle of confinement. Checks will be stepped up for the occasion.
• Men and the obese are particularly hard hit.In intensive care units in Paris, London or New York, the question keeps coming up: why does Covid-19 seem to target the obese male population so much? Without many answers for the moment.
• French President Emmanuel Macron meets Professor Didier RaoultEmmanuel Macron met Professor Raoult, the man behind the study into the treatment of Coronavirus with a chloroquine derivative. Didier Raoult presented the French President with a study estimating the efficacy of his Covid-19 treatment at 91 %.

Thursday 09/04/20

• Towards an extension of the confinement after April 15th : The government has announced that containment will be extended beyond April 15. The President of the Republic will be speaking on Monday April 13 to take stock of the situation, and will certainly announce the measures that will follow the extension of the lockdown.
• Tougher containment measures : At the same time, certain measures are already being applied to tighten containment, notably in Paris, where all individual physical activity outdoors is prohibited between 10am and 7pm. Initial results suggest a peak in outings after 7pm... A readjustment may therefore be in order.

Wednesday 08/04/20

• Physical activity at home : The government has set up a series of videos on daily life in confinement. Episode 3 concerns physical activity at home. You can also consult the videos of sport at home here!
• The 10,000 mark has been passed in France: COVID-19 has claimed more than 10,000 victims in France, out of more than 78,000 confirmed cases. Worldwide, the number of victims is currently estimated at around 80,000.

Tuesday 07/04/20

• Towards compulsory masks? The government's and politicians' stance on the issue of everyone wearing a mask is changing. Some cities, such as Nice and Cannes, are getting ahead of the game, announcing in the next few days that it will be compulsory to wear masks on public roads. As for the question of providing the population with these masks, Nice mayor Christian Estrosi has indicated that " within 8 to 10 days, we'll be distributing a washable mask that can be reused for a month to everyone in Nice" .

Monday 06/04/20

• Mobile digital travel certificate : filling in your certificate on your mobile is now available. Your form generates a QRCode that you'll need to present in the event of an inspection. So, as well as making it easier for you to fill in your exit permit, you'll save a significant amount of paper, and you'll be able to carry out a contactless check. (The police will be able to scan the QRCode on your attestation, without touching your phone).

Friday 03/04/20

• Simplified travel certificate for the disabled : the government has introduced a highly simplified travel certificate to help people with mental disabilities understand and fill in their exit certificate.
• Certificate of derogatory displacement on mobile : The long-awaited mobile digital attestation is due to be launched on Monday April 6.
• Exams will not take place: the Minister of Education has announced that all written examinations at the end of the school year, from the brevet to the bac, will be waived and will therefore be subject to continuous assessment.

Thursday 02/04/20

• Containment for autistic people: France's President, Emmanuel Macron, has announced a suitable form of confinement for French citizens with autism, authorizing them to go out "a little more often" to places usually frequented, "carrying reassuring landmarks".
  
• Curfew in Guadeloupe and Martinique: In order to enforce containment measures in these overseas departments, the prefects governing these territories placed the population under curfew from 10pm to 5am.
• An end to confinement in stages: In an address to the French National Assembly, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced that deconfinement would probably not be carried out "all at once, everywhere and for everyone".

Wednesday 01/04/20

• LaPoste operation during the containment period Mail, parcel and press delivery rounds will be carried out on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. This can be adapted to suit local circumstances and changes. To find out more about LaPoste, and in particular which offices are open, click here.
• Declaring income in 2020 : If you do not benefit from the automatic declaration this year, due to the exceptional situation, the schedule for filing income tax returns has been adapted.
  For online declarations : the online declaration service will be open from Monday, April 20 until the following deadlines set by department: departments 01 to 19: Thursday, June 4, 2020 at 11:59 pm; departments 20 to 54: Monday, June 8, 2020 at 11:59 pm; departments 55 to 976: Thursday, June 11, 2020 at 11:59 pm.
  For paper declarations : Unless you don't have an Internet connection, or don't consider yourself able to do so, you must file your tax return online. In view of the situation, all users who are able to do so are invited to declare online. Receipt of paper declarations (only for taxpayers who declared on paper in 2019): from April 20, 2020 to mid-May (depending on postal service). The deadline is Friday June 12 at 11:59 pm.

Tuesday 03/31/2020

• Domestic violence: raising the alarm in the pharmacy. A 30 % increase in domestic violence since the start of the lockdown has prompted the Ministry of the Interior, in conjunction with the French Pharmacists' Association, to set up a pharmacy alert system. In concrete terms, this means that a woman can raise the alarm in the pharmacy if she can get there without her husband. And if she is accompanied, a code system can be used to pass on her alert message. The Minister of the Interior referred in particular to the "Masque 19" alert keyword. Reminder: 3919 is the listening, information and referral number for women victims of violence. An alert message can also be sent by SMS to 114.
• Child abuse: During this period of confinement, children are also potential victims of violence. That's why the government is releasing an awareness-raising video to protect children in danger.
• Mask supply : An airlift is in place to guarantee the delivery of masks from China: a first shipment of 8 million masks arrived on Monday afternoon. A second flight is scheduled for this week to deliver a further 13 million masks.

Monday 30/03/2020

• changes in fines for non-compliance with containment requirements
• Discover the rules to adopt when shopping by clicking here
• An artificial respirator developed by engineers at the Mercedes Formula 1 team. Engineers from the Mercedes Formula 1 racing team have developed an artificial respirator for Covid-19 patients. These devices will be tested in British hospitals.
• Food shortage: "There is no shortage today in department stores and food shops," says Economy Minister Bruno Le Marie.
• ARS warns against self-medication with hydroxychloroquine "Cases of cardiac toxicity have been reported [...] following self-medication [...] with hydroxychloroquine in the face of symptoms suggestive of Covid-19, sometimes requiring hospitalization in intensive care," the Agence régionale de santé de la Nouvelle-Aquitaine informs in an press release.

Friday 27/03/2020

• Containment renewed until April 15: announces Prime Minister Edouard Philippe. "This period may be extended if the health situation so requires," said Edouard Philippe at the end of the Cabinet meeting.
• Hydroxychloroquine authorized : In a decree published in the Journal Officiel on Thursday March 26, the French government has authorized the prescription of hydroxychloroquine for patients suffering from covid-19.
• Public service newsletter Discover the latest official information on COVID-19 and life in confinement in the public service newsletter. In particular, you'll find Official Coronarivus FAQ.

Thursday 26/03/2020

• Request for additional healthcare professionals : For the past few days, several Regional Health Agencies have been calling on students, working professionals and retirees to join forces with their teams of caregivers in the fight against COVID-19. Volunteers can make themselves known via this platform: renfort-covid.fr

Wednesday 03/25/2020

• New exemption certificate : Following the tightening of confinement rules, the derogatory exit certificate has been modified. You must now add the time of your exit, and some reasons have been modified and added. See it here.
• An online tool makes it easy to identify the one-kilometer radius around the home for children's outings or sporting activities. Here are the conditions mentioned in the new certificate:
  Short trips of up to one hour a day, within a maximum radius of one kilometer of the home, related either to the individual's physical activity, to the exclusion of any group sports activities and any proximity to other people, or to walking with only people grouped together in the same home, or to the needs of pets.
  To use this online tool : once on the map, click on the wheel at top right. Then on the measurements tab, and "calculate an isochrone" underneath. Enter your address, then tick isodistance next to the blue stopwatch. Just below, in the "distance" window, enter 1km. And at the very bottom, click on calculate. Now you have a precise map of the routes you can take if you need to get out of the house.

Tuesday 24/03/2020

• Tougher containment rules :
  Walks for children or sport must take place within a 1km radius of the home, for a maximum of 1 hour and alone. You'll also need to make a note of the time on the affidavit you'll be required to write for each outing.
  Closing of open markets (with exceptions in villages where this is the only source of supply, for example)
  Travel for medical reasons must be for an emergency or doctor's appointment only. Any other travel may result in a fine.

Monday 23/03/2020

• Coronavirus test :
  How do I know if I have the Coronavirus? Test your symptoms on this website provided by the government: https://maladiecoronavirus.fr/
  Warning: this test is not a medical diagnosis. If you have any doubts or persistent symptoms, please contact your GP.

Friday 20/03/2020

• The new Service Public newsletter Keep up to date with all the latest Covid-19 news.
• Home delivery procedure
• In order to comply with the measures taken by the government :
  • Priority will be given to deliveries to the recipient's standard mailboxes. Senders are encouraged to optimize the size of their parcels, in order to facilitate this type of delivery as much as possible.
  • In the case of deliveries that do not fit into a standard letterbox, the delivery driver will notify the customer or designated person of his arrival (by knocking or ringing).
  • The delivery person places the parcel on the doorstep and immediately moves a minimum distance of 1 meter away from the door, before the customer opens the door.
  • He can leave the parcel on the doorstep or check from a distance that it has been received by the customer. He does not obtain a handwritten signature from the customer.
  • The aim is to avoid close contact and, in particular, to avoid passing the package from hand to hand.

Thursday 19/03/20

• New recommendations from the Minister for Sport - stay active! These physical activities are subject to the regulations in force during this period of confinement. A jog of "no more than 1 to 2 km from home" is recommended, according to the Ministry of Sports, as is a minimum of 1 hour of dynamic physical activity per day for children and teenagers, and 30 minutes per day for adults.#BougezChezVous

Wednesday 18/03/20

• Fine for failure to comply with containment requirement increased to 135 euros
• 2 options for travel certificate :
  1. Print and fill in the document
  2. Copy the document by hand
• Paracetamol, ibuprofen and aspirin will be rationed in pharmacies and suspended on the Internet from this Wednesday, the Agence nationale du médicament has announced "in order to guarantee (its) availability".
• Just one box per person in the absence of symptoms, and two in the event of pain or fever at the pharmacy.
• Online sales of "paracetamol, ibuprofen and aspirin-based medicines" have been suspended.
• To ease the workload of outpatient doctors, overwhelmed by the coronavirus epidemic, pharmacies are exceptionally authorized to accept expired prescriptions until 05/31/2020.

Tuesday 17/03/20

• Containment measures have been put in place throughout France from Tuesday March 17 at 12:00 p.m., for a minimum of two weeks. Travel is forbidden except in certain cases, and only with a certificate.