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Nice, France (AP) – Tourism is booming again in France – and so is COVID-19. French authorities have “invited” or “recommended” people to go back to using face masks but avoided renewal restrictions that intimidate visitors or revive anti-government protests.
From Paris travelers to tourists on the French Riviera, many people seem to welcome the government’s light touch, while some are concerned that preventive measures may be needed.
Over the past two weeks, virus-related hospitals in France have risen sharply, with nearly 1,000 COVID-19 patients being hospitalized every day, according to government data. Infections are also on the rise in Europe and the United StatesBut France has an unusually high proportion of people in the hospital, according to our world data estimates.
French government spokeswoman Olivia Gregor said there were no plans to reintroduce national regulations that would limit or regulate the collection of in-house and other activities.
“The French people are sick of the restrictions,” she told the BFMTV channel on Wednesday. “We are confident that people will behave responsibly.”
France’s parliamentary elections last month caused President Emmanuel Macron to lose his majority in the national legislature, while left and right-wing parties protested against his government’s previous vaccinations. And won the Mask Rules seat.
“We need to deal with the virus, but we can’t stop living because of it,” said passenger Rafael Wertldy after the prime minister suggested this week that people resume wearing masks on public transport.
Vertalde, who was aboard a train in Bossi-Saint-Antoine, south of Paris, said he was opposed to using the mandatory mask but would cover his mouth and nose again if the government needed it.
Hosni Mohammed, a postal worker in Paris, is not waiting for the government’s decision. He wears a mask before his daily trip. With his wife recovering from surgery and two children at home, he does not want to risk a third coronavirus contract..
“I understand that the plague is not related to the past,” Mohammad said.
Masks are controversial in France. At the onset of the cholera, the French government suggested that masks were not useful. It eventually introduced some of Europe’s toughest restrictions, including the mask mission indoors and outdoors that lasted more than a year, with severe restrictions.
A Paris court ruled on Tuesday that the French government had failed to adequately stockpile surgical masks at the start of the epidemic and prevent the spread of the virus. The administrative court in Paris also ruled that the government was wrong, having previously suggested that masks do not protect people from disease.
The government lifted most of the virus regulations in April, and foreign tourists have returned By land, sea and air to French Mediterranean beaches, restaurants and bars.
At the same time, French hospitals are struggling with long-term staff and funding shortages. Local authorities are considering new measures in some cities, including an in-house mask mission, but nothing will stop economic activity.
French tourism experts expect a summer growth season despite the virus, with numbers that may even surpass pre-cholera levels as Americans take advantage of a weaker euro and more foreigners after more than two years of limited presence. The journey rediscovers.
In the French Riviera, slow economic recovery began last summer. But with attendance at meetings still limited, social distance regulations and travel restrictions imposed a year ago, most visitors to the area were French.
A tour guide in Nice and an electric bicycle taxi driver expressed their pleasure at seeing foreign tourists again. During France’s frequent shutdowns, she transported the necessary workers, and took people to hospitals, for the care of elderly relatives or for PCR tests.
Now, a passenger on her bike from the United States, Australia, Germany, Italy or beyond access taps the barrier between the passenger and the driver’s seat for an anti-manual substance. She said she still dismounts the bike before every ride, “like it’s 2020.”
A retired couple from the UK traveled abroad on their first trip to France this week as cholera travel restrictions were lifted. They started with a cruise down the Rhone River – face masks were essential on the boat – and ended with a few days in the Mediterranean.
“It was exciting from start to finish,” said Rose Ronsey, who was in Nice with her husband, Gordon. “Everyone is very happy to see you. Everyone is really decent and good with the audience.”
Sue Baker, who traveled with her husband, Phil, and Rennes, observed: “It makes sense before 2020.”
Asked about the possible return of French mask rules, Phil Baker said, “Masks are a bit uncomfortable, especially in the heat.”
But his wife added, “If that means we can still go on vacation, we’ll get him out without any delay.”
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Lee Daily reported from Bossi Saint-Antoine, France.
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