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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.



Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has warned against allowing "QAnon Shaman" Jacob Chansley to testify at former President Donald Trump's unprecedented second impeachment trial.See also:
Chansley, also known as Jake Angeli, is facing multiple charges for his participation in the insurrection that the article of impeachment alleges the former president incited on January 6. Although Graham denounced the House for impeaching Trump on January 13 without calling any witnesses, on Friday the senator said that allowing witnesses at the Senate trial could lead to a lengthy "circus" featuring testimony from the likes of Chansley.
"I cannot think of a better way to turn the upcoming impeachment trial into a complete circus than to call the QAnon Shaman as a witness on anything," Graham tweeted. "The House impeached President Trump without a witness. If we open the witness door in the Senate there will be lots of witnesses requested on a variety of topics. And the trial will go for months, not days."
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