Europe's Coronavirus Response: France Imposes Nighttime Restrictions
In France, a curfew has been implemented to address rising youth violence and drug-related crime, rather than as a public health measure like a lockdown. The curfew primarily targets minors, typically under 16 or 18 years old, to prevent them from being exposed to or involved in violent incidents, especially those linked to drug trafficking conflicts.
The curfew is a targeted response, focusing on reducing juvenile crime and violence rather than restricting the entire population's mobility. Authorities aim to protect minors from becoming victims or perpetrators of violence occurring mostly at night. Preventive measures like increased police presence and reopening police stations were insufficient, so authorities resorted to curfews as a more direct measure.
The curfew time frame runs from 11 pm to 5 am or similar nighttime hours. Cities enforcing curfews include Nîmes, Béziers, Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine, Villecresnes, and Triel-sur-Seine, among others. The measures are temporary and targeted at preventing nighttime violence associated with drug trafficking and related urban conflicts. Some mayors report the curfew has led to quieter nights and increased parental responsibility, though the long-term effectiveness remains debated.
An exception to the curfew will be made for Christmas Eve, but not for New Year's Eve. The immediate impact of stores reopening on statistics was noticeable in France, with many non-food stores reopening in late November.
Meanwhile, in Germany, there are calls to close shops during all winter holidays until mid-January and extend school holidays by the same period due to a record high of 23,679 new cases over the past 24 hours, a record since the start of the pandemic.
In contrast, Spain is seeing a decrease in infection rates, with an average of less than 300 cases per 100,000 people. Many regions in Spain are cautiously allowing shopping centers, bars, and gyms to reopen. However, the National Institute of Statistics reports that 45,700 people died from COVID-19 between March and May, which is 40% more than the initial report from the ministry of health.
In France, Prime Minister Jean Castex stated that the situation has not improved for a week, and France is on a plateau with the number of new cases. Despite this, the curfew in France, as reported by Almaty.tv and Euronews, is set to replace the lockdown.
Sources: 1. Almaty.tv 2. Euronews 3. France 24 4. The Local 5. The Guardian
Science and health-and-wellness are crucial in addressing medical-conditions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of implementing a curfew as a public health measure, France focuses on reducing youth violence and drug-related crime, targeting minors to prevent them from being exposed to or involved in such incidents.
