With the entry into force of a curfew between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., the daily lives of millions of French people will once again be upset this weekend.
Announced Wednesday by the President of the Republic to curb the spread of the coronavirus, the measures were detailed by the government Thursday afternoon at a press conference.
Because these announcements have cascading consequences, Le Parisien answers the many very concrete questions that you ask yourself.
Alert levels:
Why are there the same measures everywhere?
Because the health situation varies and the indicators are not the same in all parts of the country.
Which areas are affected by the new level triggered, that of a health emergency?
In itself, the entire territory has been placed in a state of health emergency, and the measure will come into force at midnight on the night of Saturday to Sunday.
But only Île-de-France as well as the eight most affected metropolises (those of Lyon, Lille, Rouen, Saint-Etienne, Grenoble, Aix-Marseille, Toulouse and Montpellier) are affected by the new measures, in particular the curfew from 9 p.m. on Saturday.
Which municipalities are concerned for each metropolis?
In Île-de-France, it's simple: the curfew will be applied in all the municipalities in the region.
For the metropolises, there are in fact dozens of municipalities that should be concerned each time.
• Métropole de Lille: 95 municipalities.
The full list can be viewed here.
• Rouen metropolis: 71 municipalities.
The full list can be viewed here.
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• Métropole de Lyon: 59 municipalities.
The full list can be viewed here.
• Metropolis of Saint-Etienne: 53 municipalities.
The full list can be viewed here.
• Toulouse metropolitan area: 37 municipalities.
The full list can be viewed here.
• Metropolis of Montpellier: 31 municipalities.
The full list can be viewed here.
• Aix-Marseille metropolis: 92 municipalities.
The full list can be viewed here.
Metropolis of Grenoble: 49 municipalities.
The full list can be viewed here.
Curfew :
Do the hours change according to the cities concerned?
No, this night confinement - which, let us remember, concerns the entire Île-de-France region, as well as Grenoble, Lyon, Aix-Marseille, Montpellier, Lille, Saint-Etienne, Rouen and Toulouse - is exactly the same for all these areas.
It starts at 9 p.m. and ends in the morning at 6 a.m.
Can we go to a show, a movie at the cinema, or a match, if we have already booked a ticket?
Normally no, not after 9 p.m.
These rooms will be forced to close their doors at curfew time on Saturday.
However, they could decide to postpone certain shows a little earlier so that they end before the fateful hour, or else they will have to reimburse the spectators.
The mayor of Paris, however, suggests that show tickets serve as a certificate for returns home after shows, many of which end after 9 p.m.
The government is "studying" the issue, said Jean Castex, without deciding anything.
Regarding professional matches, the Ministry of Sports announced Wednesday evening their maintenance after 9 p.m., but they will take place behind closed doors.
Can we go to a restaurant?
Yes, but only until 9 p.m., which requires an early dinner.
“All these establishments will have to close.
If you live next to the restaurant, if you have half an hour of transport, you will have to organize yourself to leave at 8:30 pm ”, insisted Emmanuel Macron.
Are home food deliveries allowed after curfew hours?
Yes, restaurants with home delivery will be able to continue doing so after 9 p.m.
This sector will be one of the establishments which will "escape early closure", such as reception facilities for the most precarious, social medical centers, or even police stations.
Can we go spend the evening with a friend?
Once again, you have to be back home at curfew time, Emmanuel Macron recalled: "We will no longer go to restaurants, to friends' houses, to party [...] after 9 p.m. [... ] ”In addition, he outlined a new rule to be implemented in the private sector:“ We try when we invite friends not to be more than six at the table.
"
How long will the curfew last?
The law requires the government to go through a vote in Parliament to extend beyond four weeks the new restrictions decided, including the curfew.
Emmanuel Macron wants to go up to six weeks, i.e. until December 1.
The National Assembly and the Senate will therefore have to give their consent.
Can we go jogging alone after 9 p.m.?
No, jogging is not a valid reason for going out after 9 p.m.
This ban will apply to running but also to other sports activities such as cycling.
In case of non-compliance, it could cost you 135 euros.
Will I be allowed to take my dog out after 9 p.m.?
As was the case during confinement, it will be possible to take your dog out after 9 p.m. in areas where the curfew is in effect, according to the government spokesperson.
This is one of the reasons for exemption presented by Jean Castex.
Will I be allowed to go home after midnight if I'm going to dinner with friends on Friday night?
The curfew will be in effect from 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., but the state of health emergency will come into force "from Saturday midnight or Friday at midnight," Prime Minister Jean Castex said.
This means that you will have to be home no later than 11.59pm Friday.
Being in a taxi after 9 pm (without exemption), is taking the risk of being arrested?
If the reason for your trip is not part of the exemptions provided, you incur a fine of 135 euros.
Are supermarkets that had extended hours going to have to cut them?
Supermarkets are among the businesses that will have to close from 9 p.m.
They are not part of the establishments entering among the exceptions and listed by Jean Castex, such as "health, medico-social establishments" or "the most precarious reception structures".
Certificates:
What are the permitted reasons for going out during curfew?
People forced to go to work in the evening will be able to go out.
"If you work at night or your working hours do not allow you to be home at 9 pm," said Jean Castex.
Also authorized, travel for health reasons that cannot be postponed, especially for medical emergencies.
As are pressing family reasons such as assistance to vulnerable people.
All these trips must nevertheless be justified with a certificate.
Do I have to print the certificate or can it be downloaded?
This certificate will be available on the website of the government and the Ministry of the Interior, announced the Prime Minister.
It will also be possible to download it to your smartphone.
It will also be possible to fill it out on plain paper, "especially for the elderly or people who do not have a printer or photocopier immediately available".
This certificate will be valid for one hour, said Gérald Darmanin, the Minister of the Interior.
Do you have to present supporting documents?
Yes, as part of a business trip.
It will be necessary to be able to show an employer's certificate or professional card as for nurses or journalists.
In case of non-compliance, do we risk a fine?
Yes.
"There will be checks [...] and there will be fines of 135 euros", warned the head of state on Wednesday, referring to "the one that prevails today for the restrictions".
In the event of a double recidivism, that is to say three offenses, an offender will be liable to a fine of 3,750 euros and six months in prison, ”added Gerald Darmanin on Thursday.
Travel:
Can I go on vacation despite these measures?
Yes.
"We have not decided to limit travel between regions," announced Emmanuel Macron.
As a reminder, the school holidays for All Saints begin this Friday.
Will there be less metro, bus or RER than normal after 9 p.m. in the Ile-de-France region?
No.
The service will be maintained, assured this Thursday morning on RTL, Valérie Pécresse, president of the Île-de-France region.
"We are obviously going to keep all transport open because despite the curfew there will be a lot of French people going to work, people who work at night, in staggered hours, even if only the nursing staff" she declared.
"Depending on the number of visitors, the gauge, and the requirements of the curfew, we will assess how we adapt the service," said Valérie Pécresse.
Can we take a train or a plane in the evening?
The SNCF assures this Thursday morning that it will not change anything in its system for the next two weeks, while it expects more than five million travelers from Friday afternoon.
"All trains will run as planned during this weekend and the holidays," the railway company said.
The curfew will have no impact on long-distance transport.
Concretely, if you have a plane, a train, a coach or a boat which leaves or which arrives between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. from a city under curfew, you will be able to circulate.
Operators, such as SNCF and Air France, are authorized to maintain their transport during these nine hours.
To get to or from a station, an airport or a port during this time slot, an implementing decree being drawn up will specify the procedures.
This should simply require travelers to present proof to the police in the event of a check between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. In other words, your train, plane, bus or boat ticket.
On the other hand, going to look for someone who would have trouble getting around on arrival of his train or an airport will be "common sense", praised Jean Castex.
"We can imagine that it should be included in the derogations to be considered," he said.
How far from my home can I travel?
There is no maximum distance allowed to be able to move, provided you do not end up after 9 p.m. in one of the areas where a curfew is imposed.
Can we go abroad (if so, in which countries)?
On this point, no change.
Travel abroad is still authorized, according to the diplomatie.gouv.fr website.
Are travelers from certain countries banned from staying in France without a fortnight?
Nothing changes on this level either.
Travelers from 33 countries must always prove a negative test on departure or, except for four of these states, be tested on arrival.
The list of these countries can be found in the appendix to the decree of July 10, 2020 "prescribing the general measures necessary to deal with the Covid-19 epidemic".
But there is no compulsory fortnight measure planned.
Job :
What are the rules for teleworking?
Companies are now asked to "define a minimum number of teleworking days per week for positions which allow it," announced the Minister of Labor, Élisabeth Borne, on Thursday.
Companies must also organize themselves to prevent employees from crossing paths, by adjusting schedules.
Can my employer deny me telework if I am working on curfew hours?
According to the Ministry of Labor file on teleworking, updated on October 5, an employer can refuse teleworking to his employee if he considers that the "conditions for resumption of activity comply with health instructions" on the premises. of work.
“In all cases, your employer must justify the refusal.
Since March 17 and until further notice, teleworking must be systematically privileged.
The employer must therefore demonstrate that the presence in the workplace is essential for the operation of the activity ”specifies the article.
Schools and universities
Are school holidays going to be extended, like abroad?
In the three zones (A, B, C), the school holidays for All Saints begin on Saturday and must last two weeks.
The return of students to school, college and high school is still scheduled for November 2 and no extension is on the agenda.
"The announcements of the President of the Republic have no impact on school and school holidays", indicates the Ministry of National Education and Youth.
During the school holidays, do the day camps stay open?
A priori yes, the leisure centers will be able to welcome children during school holidays.
However, the situation can vary from one city to another.
"For the extracurricular, it is the local authorities who decide to keep the opening of leisure centers but there is no contraindication from the ministry", says one rue de Grenelle.
In curfew areas, will distance learning be compulsory?
No, distance education does not become the rule with the curfew.
Schools, colleges and high schools will remain open.
"We need to have open public services, to have teachers who are in class," said the President of the Republic on Wednesday evening.
The situation is a little different in universities which were previously in the maximum or heightened alert zone.
As of October 6, their amphitheatres, classrooms, libraries and dining halls can only be filled to 50% of their capacity.
Gatherings
Can we be penalized if there are more than six people at my home?
No, this is a recommendation.
"The rule of six is an incentive", repeated the Minister of the Interior, Gerald Darmanin, this Thursday.
Indeed, it is not possible to legislate on a private gathering in a place of residence, as the government had experienced at the time of deconfinement.
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Do the six people I receive always have to be the same?
These are people "outside the family circle", said Emmanuel Macron.
Or “of the friendly circle”, in the words of Jean Castex.
"If we are a family of 7, 8, 9, 10, we continue to have a normal family life," said the President of the Republic.
Are weddings in public halls allowed in areas without a curfew?
No, this ban is valid throughout the territory, the state of health emergency affecting the whole country from the night of Friday to Saturday.
"All private parties, such as weddings or student parties, which are held in halls, in multipurpose rooms or any other establishment receiving the public will be prohibited," said Thursday Jean Castex.
Until then, the measure only applied in areas with a maximum alert level.
