The party… but not too much!
As for certain departments of Île-de-France and Paris, several prefectures announced on Wednesday an earlier closure of bars and restaurants for New Year's Eve, on the night of Friday to Saturday, in order to counter the spread of the variant. Omicron in the population.
A measure with a bitter taste for some, then Prime Minister Jean Castex was delighted on Monday not to have to resort to the curfew for New Year's evenings.
According to a statement made by Le Parisien, at least fifteen departments have already decided on an early closure of bars.
Are thus affected by a closure at two hours on January 1, in Île-de-France, Paris, Val-d'Oise, Seine-et-Marne, Val-de-Marne, Yvelines.
Elsewhere in France, bars in Calvados, Alpes-Maritimes, Charente-Maritime, Indre-et-Loire, Landes and Saône-et-Loire will have to close at two o'clock, the prefectures announced.
The most stringent measure at present, it is a closure at one o'clock in the morning that has been decided for the establishments of Var and Finistère.
Those of Côtes-d'Armor and Haut-Rhin have permission to open until 3 a.m.
In theory, few bars can legally remain open after 2 hours.
For that, a derogation is indeed necessary, except to benefit from a derogation.
However, it is not uncommon for these establishments to give themselves the right or occasionally obtain the right to remain open well after this time.
Other measures for December 31
Departments have decided to implement this measure for the whole New Year's weekend. It is accompanied in some cases by the ban on dancing in establishments open to the public (as the government had already decreed, in at the same time as the closing of nightclubs) to consume alcohol on public roads, to buy alcohol after a certain time and to gather on public roads. Several prefects, as in Paris, also took this opportunity to make it compulsory to wear a mask outside everywhere on public roads.
Without being able to drink until late at night, those who will celebrate the transition to the New Year in bars will be able to drink standing up. This will no longer be allowed from January 3, as Olivier Véran and Jean Castex announced on Monday. From that date, "consumption in bars and cafes can no longer be done standing, but only in a seated manner", explained the Prime Minister.
The prefectures thus want, by shortening the evening of New Year's revelers, to avoid any situation that would prevent the maintenance of barrier gestures.
Jean Castex had said he wanted to "trust" the "sense of responsibility" of the French.
The situation is all the more critical as France has never recorded so many contaminations: nearly 208,000 new cases have been identified in the past 24 hours, Public Health France reported on Wednesday.