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Speaking in a televised address after meeting with President Emmanuel Macron and senior ministers, Castex said that officials had decided against introducing a new national lockdown in a drastic bid to curb new Covid infections. Instead, tighter border controls are being introduced alongside tougher action against covid rule-breakers.
"We know the grave impact [lockdown has]. Tonight, looking at the data of the past few days, we consider that we can still give ourselves a chance to avoid one," the PM said, while outlining the new measures.
He said that, starting from midnight on Sunday, a ban will be in place on anyone arriving from outside the EU or leaving France for a non-EU country, apart from essential travel. Travelers coming in from EU states will need to show evidence of a negative PCR test.
Meanwhile, working from home must be supported wherever possible by companies in France, Castex added.
More police will be mobilized to ensure adherence to the existing 12-hour overnight curfew, Castex said, warning that "particular firmness" would be shown to anyone not complying, or who was gathering for illegal parties.
"As of this Sunday, non-food shopping centers with a surface area of more than 20,000 square meters, which most favor the mixing of populations, will be closed," he added.
"If you look at New York state, we have a lower percentage of deaths in nursing homes than other states. A third of all deaths in this nation are from nursing homes. New York state, we're only about 28 percent — only — but we're below the national average in number of deaths in nursing homes. But who cares — 33 [percent], 29 [percent] — died in the hospital, died in a nursing home? They died."Cuomo's stunning remarks sparked a furious backlash, with Timothy Dunn tweeting: "My uncle died in a nursing home from COVID two weeks ago. I care @NYGovCuomo," added Dunn, whose website says he's from upstate Malta and runs a consulting company.
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