Factbox: Back to lockdown - the new French measures to contain COVID-19 spread

French Prime Minister Jean Castex on Thursday gave details of the lockdown that will come into effect on Friday in an effort to put the brakes on a COVID-19 epidemic that officials say risks spiraling out of control.

Anyone outside their home will need to carry a documentjustifying their presence outside. This can be checked bypolice.

French Prime Minister Jean Castex on Thursday gave details of the lockdown that will come into effect on Friday in an effort to put the brakes on a COVID-19 epidemic that officials say risks spiraling out of control.

Below are the main measures he announced:

* People will have to remain in their homes and only ventureoutside if they have a justification for doing that. Those justifications include: essential food shopping, taking a child to school, essential work that cannot be done from home, attending a medical appointment, providing urgent help to a family member, or one hour per day of exercise within one kilometer of the home.

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* Anyone outside their home will need to carry a documentjustifying their presence outside. This can be checked bypolice.

* Schools will remain open, a departure from the lastlockdown in the spring when all educational establishments were shut down.

* Children from six years old and upwards will be required to wear masks in classes. Up to now, the requirement to wear masks applied to children from 11 upwards.

* Universities will close.

* Cafes, and restaurants will shut.

* Shops will close, with the exception of garages, auto repair shops, supermarkets, launderettes, opticians, and pharmacies.

* State services for the public will remain open, includingmunicipal services.

* Places of worship will remain open, but celebrations such as weddings will be limited to small groups.

* All those who can work from home must do so, unless it is technically impossible.

* Community sport activities will be halted.

* No one can enter France from outside the European Union except in special circumstances, but borders between France and other EU countries will remain open.

* The measures are to come into effect from 00:01 am onFriday morning and will remain in force until Dec. 1.

* Hotels can remain open with limited capacity for professional travel.

The story has been taken from a news agency

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