France's Health Minister Oliver Veran says he believes that the 'peak' of new COVID-19 cases in France has passed and the situation is starting to improve. Veran made the statement two weeks into the country's second lockdown.
Veran in the meantime also said that it was early still, to claim a victory over COVID-19. President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday said that the lockdown measures will remain effective till December.
The second lockdown came into effect on November 1 after a rapid surge in coronavirus cases. On Sunday, France reported 32,095 COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. A total of 19,54,599 people have been infected by the coronavirus since France reported its first case in mid-February and 44,246 have died due to the virus.
President Macron tweeted on Saturday, "Our fight against the epidemic is collective... In class, office, at home, five life-saving gestures: wear a mask, wash your hands regularly, keep a distance of at least one meter apart, regularly ventilate closed spaces and download the TousAntiCovid app," he tweeted early Saturday.”
As per new lockdown measures, schools will remain open and weddings will be allowed to be held with 30 guests, however, bars, cafés and sit-down restaurants will remain shut, while takeaway providers, food shops and supermarkets, pharmacies, tobacco shops, petrol stations, fruit and vegetable markets will remain open.