PARİS  

France is unlikely to lift its coronavirus lockdown in a grand way, instead reopening public places in stages regionally depending on the results of the health conditions, the president said Monday.

During a visit to a school in Melun Seine-Marne on the first day of the schools after three weeks of break amid lockdown, Emmanuel Macron spoke about ‘several levers’ in the impending reopening plan.

He said the opening will be in stages – May 3, then around mid-May, beginning of June and then around mid-end of June – each depending on the administrative division-wise results of the health data.

Health Minister Olivier Veran, too, has advised that lifting of the lockdown be a “careful relaunch." "We must not do it too early, too quickly and in any way! Otherwise we are off again ..."

Cultural establishments are scheduled to open in the first phase, but indoor dining in restaurants may have to wait, the president said.

"We know that we infect ourselves rather when it is closed, when we eat, when we sing, when we speak," Macron said, adding: “I don't think we can reopen restaurants at the end of May during June in the departments where it still circulates a lot. In others where it has fallen a lot, I think we will have to reopen them."

He warned that a pandemic-free life may not be a reality and appealed the French people to be careful for "several weeks or several months." "I never believed in zero COVID. You have to live with the virus with suitable braking measures."

He said curfew is an effective measure and will be enforced nationally, but in the coming days, the timing can be relaxed from the current early time of 7.00 p.m.