President Emmanuel Macron has told French citizens that international travel will be restricted over the summer, dashing the hopes of those who were planning holiday getaways abroad.
The French leader said on Monday that “normal life” cannot resume until the coronavirus pandemic has ended, noting that summer plans will have to be modified accordingly.
“It is too soon to say whether we can take holidays. What I can say is that we will limit major international travel, even during the summer holidays. We will stay among Europeans and, depending on how the epidemic evolves, we might have to reduce that a little more. We will know [by] early June,” Macron told reporters while visiting a school outside Paris.
He stressed that he wanted families to be happy and enjoy the summer weather, even though the “battle” against coronavirus has not yet been won.
The harsh travel restrictions come some three weeks after Macron warned that the external borders of the Schengen Area may remain shut until September.
France is beginning to slowly ease its coronavirus lockdown, which has been one of the strictest in Europe. Measures are set to begin lifting on May 11, when people will be allowed to move up to 100km (60 miles) from their residence. Schools will also start operating, but only 10 percent of children will be accommodated in Parisian schools, forcing many parents to juggle work and family responsibilities.
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