Amid virus surge, France closes schools, bans domestic travel

People walk through the streets of Paris.
(Image credit: Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images)

With his country facing a surge in coronavirus cases, French President Emmanuel Macron announced during a televised address on Wednesday night that schools will be closed nationwide for three weeks and there will be a one-month ban on domestic travel.

"The epidemic is accelerating," Macron said, making these measures necessary in order to keep hospitals from becoming overwhelmed. Beginning Saturday, most non-essential stores will be closed across the country, and people who venture outdoors must stay within six miles of their homes. With Easter on Sunday, Macron asked that people "limit all contact as much as we can, including family gatherings."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.