French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Thursday that the country would be moving to phase two of relaxing its lockdown and the greater Paris region was no longer deemed to be a “red” coronavirus hot-spot zone, Reuters reports.
Philippe warned that danger still lurked and the government would pay particular attention to public health indicators in Paris and its surrounding area as the restrictions are relaxed.
“Freedom will become the rule, bans the exception,” Philippe said in a televised address.
The coronavirus has claimed the lives of more than 28,500 people in France, but on Wednesday the death toll rose by less than 100 for the seventh day running.
Philippe said the greater Paris region was now designated an “orange” zone, meaning Paris was not as free of the virus as almost all other regions designated “green,” and the easing of restrictions would be more prudent.
“Results are good from a health point of view, even if we remain cautious,” he added.
The coronavirus lockdown in France was initially imposed in mid-March and was extended a month later.
(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shavuot in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)