Another Thursday, another French government, Covid press conference - and another turn of the screw? Yes, it seems so. Not a Third Lockdown (yet) but an expansion of the 8pm to 6am curfew to 6pm-6am throughout "European" France.

France's Covid stats aren't disastrous but the longer curfew is intended to restrain the spread of the more infectious "British" variant of the virus. This has now been detected in 3 or 4 clusters in different parts of France.
Castex and half a dozen other ministers in 10mins...

To recap...25 departements in E. France are already under a 6 to 6 curfew.
France has now vaccinated 247,167 people (not incl. today). After a slow start, France has jumped to its target rate (for Jan) of over 50,000 jabs a day and should hit its first target of 1m by month's end

French PM Jean Castex says virus France acted early on second lock down and has kept its bars and restaurants closed - unlike other countries. It has been rewarded with a "more than honourable" set of Covid stats, a plateau but a "high plateau".

Situation is, however, fragile partly because of emergence of the new British and South African variants of the virus. Health Minister, Olivier Veran, now takes over the mike...He says both the UK and SA variants are present in France.

Health minister Veran says there has been a 2-3 months epidemic of the variant in UK. Fr is doing all it can to stop same here.
He says there are now estimated to be between 200 and 200 new cases of the UK variant in France each day (out of an average of around 15,000 overall).

SA virus also in Fr, he says. One case of a v sick patient in Ile de France , after a visit ito Mozambique. Also a cluster in Nantes.

Back to PM Castex now. New measures to stop the UK variant...
From Monday all travellers to France from outside the EU (incl UK) must have a negative test before departing. That's no change for UK.

For travellers from other EU countries, Fr is working with other countries on stricter new rules, with exceptions for cross-frontier workers.

Plan overall is to reduce travel drastically...
Now... confirmation that curfew will be extended to 6pm to 6am (instead of 8pm) in the whole of France FROM SATURDAY (except overseas departements). Castex says application in eastern depts has proved effective in slowing the virus.

All shops will therefore have to close at 6pm from Saturday.
Castes says this extended curfew will last for 15 days at least.

Castex warns however that IF the virus numbers show a dramatic change for the worse in coming days, the government will not hesitate to impose a third National Lockdown.

Now some changes for schools, including the suspension of all gym classes and sports. Education minister, Jean-Michel Blanquer, says govt remains convinced schools must remain open. Fr has had more school days than any other EU country in last year, he says, and thanks teachers.

Changes for schools....All INDOOR gym and sports closed but not outdoors. Canteens...Primary classes must be kept apart and lunchtime extended of necessary.
Secondary... colleges/lycees will continue to be only open to certain pupils. More than 1m tests in schools in next month

PM Castex again now...Recognises problems for university students who have had no classes except on line. Promises pscyhological help. And from 25 Jan small groups of first year students will be allowed to return to campus classes and lectures.

Castex now talks about the vaccination programme...
In first week of Jan 120,000 were jabbed, he says. Likely to be 250,000 in second week, he says. France will hit its initial objective of 1m by end of Jan.

Castex rejects criticism that vaccines should be available to all-comers. The oldest/most vulnerable must go first, he says.
From 18 Jan anyone, whatever age, can be jabbed, if they have a dangerous underlying condition.

There will be 700 vacc centres in Fr from Monday. Over 75's can make appointments on line from today.
Veran says in next 3 weeks "hundreds of thousands" of people will be vaccinated, including the over 75s and 800,000 younger people with illnesses which make them vulnerable.

From Feb, up to another 4,000,000 doses will allow the programme to be opened to over 65s etc. "Don't worry. Everyone who wants to be vaccinated will be vaccinated", Veran says. Jab appointments...telephone hotline 0800 009 110 or on line at http://Sante.fr 

Now PM Castex promising continuing economic support for entertainment and cultural industres (which are still closed down without any clear indication of when they may reopen).

Finance minister Bruno Le Maire says he can't give any clear idea of when the lockdown for these activities might end. But "solidarity fund" will continue with 3 changes....

For those with takeaway sales, there will be NO reduction in State aid.
Companies supplying restaurants, bars etc will have increased aid, based on % of their turnover.
On fixed costs, such as rent, state will now take on payment for companies with over Euros1m a month turnover.

Le Maire also announces special aid for French wine and spirits producers, hit by Covid and by US retaliatory taxes.
On state loans to closed industries, Le Maire announces an extra one year delay in repayments.

That's state GUARANTEED loans, not state loans.

Le Maire says all this amounts to extra state spending of an EXTRA Euros 4bn a month. He urges the wealthier French to help out by spending or investing some of the Euros 100bn in EXTRA savings they have squirreled away since the Covid crisis began.

Labour minister Elisabeth Borne says 3,000,000 people are now on 85% state-funded furlough (100% for some) in France, compared to 9,000,000 during first lockdown. This will continue until end of Feb but will the reduce if health situation improves.

Finally,culture minister Roselyne Bachelot says cinemas, theatres, museums etc will remain closed for now - as they are in most other European countries. State will continue to support these activities. End of Jan openings, previously mooted, have been put off indefinitely.

Conditions for reopening are under discussion, she says. No date can be set at present, she says, but "I ask you to remember that Spring always comes".
Questions now. Good place to end....