PARIS, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Three days into a cautious easing of the anti-coronavirus lockdown, French central government, regional authorities and local sanitary agencies on Wednesday held a videoconference to study the situation and prepare for the next step.
The objective is "to listen to the prefects and general managers of the regional health agencies on the conditions for the deployment of the deconfinement strategy" which began on Monday, said the presidential palace.
Earlier in the morning, President Emmanuel Macron recalled at the council of ministers that three timescales have been set for the coming weeks.
A first milestone will take place on June 2, when, "depending on the evolution of the epidemic, deconfinement can take a new step after the weekend of Pentecost (a Christian holiday which falls on May 31)," government spokeswoman Sibeth Ndiaye told reporters.
Then comes the summer season, which "poses specific questions in terms of travel on national territory and abroad" and which must "be the subject of a necessary European coordination," she said, adding the third one, which is "possible but uncertain" involves a re-confinement should the situation deteriorate.
The spokeswoman said the president had asked the government to "get armed with this prospect" as it is "too early to declare victory."
After a strict eight-week anti-coronavirus lockdown, France, one of Europe's key powerhouses, saw its non-essential businesses except cafes and restaurants reopen to help relaunch the economy.
In April, economic activities operated at 27 percent below normal levels after dropping by 32 percent in March, France central bank BdF said on Tuesday.
Also on Wednesday, the European Union pushed a gradual reopening of borders within the bloc so as to salvage some of the summer tourist season.
When his German colleague Horst Seehofer Seehofer said Germany will start to tentatively relax some border controls with the aim of having free travel in Europe from mid-June, French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner echoed on twitter that controls will stay in place on French borders with Germany until June 15, "with some relaxation of measures to help the daily lives." Enditem
