Hugues Gournay, Chef Patron of Le Saotico, stands behind the bar of his restaurant while waiting for take-away orders in Paris on Feb. 1.
French government spokesman Gabriel Attal says it’s too early to re-open restaurants, bars, culture and sports venues as the number of coronavirus cases and deaths remain on a “high plateau.”
“The pressure remains high,” Attal told reporters after a cabinet meeting in Paris. He said ministers were preparing the conditions to re-open these venues so as to prepare for when the situation will allow it.
France extended a national curfew a month ago as President Emmanuel Macron seeks to avoid a new lockdown. Even as the number of new daily cases is roughly stable with less than 20,000 cases per day, the government can’t rule out a third lockdown, especially as new variants of the virus progress, Attal said.