—
What We Can (or Must) Do
Wear a Mask on Public Transport
This is in the realm of duties. Wearing a mask will be mandatory for all passengers on public transport starting May 11 (subject to a fine of 135 euros), but social distancing rules will drastically reduce capacity.
The same obligation to wear this protection applies to early childhood professionals, as well as to students starting in middle school.
Go to a Library or Small Museum
Media centers, libraries, and small museums will reopen their doors on Monday. In these places, wearing a mask is not required, confirmed Interior Minister Christophe Castaner on Friday.
Invite People Over
May 11 will also mark the return to social life, with its limits. Gatherings organized in public places or private locations (notably your home) will be limited to 10 people (including you).
Go to the Hairdresser and Shop
Except for cafes and restaurants, all stores will be able to reopen from May 11, provided they can enforce health protection measures. The shopkeeper may also require you to wear a mask.
Travel Without a Certificate
It will be possible to move around without a certificate from May 11… but only within 100 km of your home (or a little more if you remain within your travels), unless it is an urgent family or professional reason. Travel from a green department to a red department (or vice versa) is possible.
Send Your Children to Nursery, Kindergarten, or Primary School
From Monday, parents will be able, if they wish, to send babies back to nurseries (in groups of no more than ten) and children to kindergarten and school. However, in practice, classes won’t resume until mid-week and for a very limited number of students.
Visit a Cemetery
Cemeteries will reopen to the public from May 11, however, funeral ceremonies will still be limited to 20 people.
Walk in the Forest
Access to forests will once again be authorized. Walks there are organized according to the same rules (no more than ten people, social distancing) as elsewhere.
What We Still Can’t Do
Travel More Than 100 Kilometers from Home
While daily movement will no longer require a specific certificate, long-distance travel will remain prohibited after May 11. Travel more than 100 kilometers as the crow flies will only be possible for “urgent family or professional reasons.” A new certificate (available Sunday evening) may be requested by law enforcement during inspections.
Go to the Cinema
Unlike libraries, large museums, cinemas, theaters, and concert halls will remain closed at least until June 1. The same goes for “party halls and multi-purpose rooms.”
Attend a Festival, Concert, Show…
Large-scale events such as sports, cultural events, festivals, large trade shows, and all events with more than 5000 participants “will not be held before September.”
Go to a Bar or Restaurant
Unlike other stores, bars and restaurants will remain closed after May 11. Their situation will be reviewed at the end of May for a potential reopening on June 2.
Participate in a Religious Ceremony
Places of worship can continue to stay open. Religious ceremonies, however, will not resume immediately. “We will work with all religious leaders on the conditions for resuming religious ceremonies by the end of the month,” explained Christophe Castaner on Thursday, May 7, alongside the Prime Minister.
It Depends
Play Sports
The one-kilometer barrier for morning jogging is gone. From May 11, “it will be possible, with the help of nice weather, to practice individual sports outdoors, going beyond the current one-kilometer barrier and respecting physical distancing rules,” announced the Prime Minister. Tennis is also allowed.
However, “it will not be possible to practice sports in covered venues, nor team sports, nor contact sports.” So, gyms (fitness, crossfit, climbing, sports halls…) are off-limits until at least June 2, the date of the next phase of lifting restrictions.
Go to the Market
Markets will reopen… unless otherwise indicated. “Markets, for which prohibition is the rule today and authorization is the exception, will generally be allowed, unless mayors or prefects feel they cannot enforce social distancing measures,” declared the Prime Minister during the presentation of his plan to ease restrictions.
Go to Parks and Gardens
Parks and gardens will be able to reopen. But only in “green” departments. Mayors of red departments can request authorization from the prefect to open them.
Go to Middle School
The same applies to the reopening of middle schools. Only “green” departments may proceed. From May 18, in less infected departments, reopening of middle schools will be considered, starting with 6th and 5th grades. Further considerations for upper grades will not occur before the end of May, particularly for high schools.
Go to the Beach
This is one of the major changes in the government’s strategy on easing restrictions. Following numerous requests from local officials, the government is finally allowing prefects to reopen beach access if the town mayor requests it. However, the general rule remains prohibition.
