france24--2020-05-10--Commemorating the abolition of slavery in France: "This is our history"

A `` memorial '' sculpture , decorated with a ribbon in the colours of the French flag , was unveiled in the gardens of Bordeaux 's town hall on December 2 , 2019 .
The commemorations of the abolition of slavery in France scheduled for May 10 will take place despite the coronavirus pandemic , but in small groups or virtually .
A Facebook Live is being organised by the Foundation for the Memory of Slavery , in partnership with FRANCE 24 .
Due to the coronavirus pandemic , celebration of the National Day of Remembrance of the Slave Trade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every year in France on May 10 , has been disrupted .
A ceremony presided over by Prime Minister Édouard Philippe was held on Sunday , but on a small scale .
`` We will not put this commemoration on hold , despite the health requirements , '' former prime minister Jean-Marc Ayrault , now president of the Foundation for the Memory of Slavery , told FRANCE 24 .
Ayrault ’ s foundation was charged with overseeing the remembrances this year .
In addition , regional prefects were asked by the Prime Minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in each department , while respecting the rules of social distancing .
`` There will be modest national ceremonies , in Paris with the Prime Minister , but also in provincial and overseas communes with the help of associations , '' Ayrault said .
`` A lot of things are going to happen on May 10 , including the organisation of a live broadcast on Facebook . ''
The live broadcast , in partnership with FRANCE 24 , will bring together politicians , artists and historians for discussion .
`` This is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year 's commemorations is 'The Missing Page ' .
`` We do n't know how the existing framework was established .
We know that there was slavery and abolition , but we know less about the fact that it took three revolutions to achieve abolition , '' Ayrault said .
For the former mayor of the city of Nantes , a hub in the slave trade , the occasion provides an opportunity to recall the place that slavery occupies in our national history .
`` It leaves deep traces and wounds .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ not a question of creating division nor of setting memories against each other , '' Ayrault stressed , referring to critics , who complain of an excess of repentance .
`` This is our history .
And for us to share it , we must make it known .
`` The aim is not to make people feel guilty , but to provide keys to understanding and to a way of living together based on justice , equality , the fight against all forms of discrimination and racism , but also fraternity , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was `` a contemporary struggle '' .
An estimated 12 to 18 million slaves were taken from sub-Saharan Africa to the Americas during the transatlantic slave trade .
Under the impetus of the philosophers of the Enlightenment , a critique of slavery and the slave trade began to emerge in France in the 18th century .
In his 1748 book `` The Spirit of the Laws `` , Charles de Montesquieu is sarcastic about `` those who call themselves Christians and who practice slavery '' .
In 1788 , the Society of Friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaigned for abolition .
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789 abolished slavery but had no impact in the French West Indies .
It was not until February 1794 that the Society of Friends of Blacks succeeded in winning abolition .
Napoléon Bonaparte , however , very quickly re-established slavery and the slave trade in 1802 .
It was not until 27 April 1848 that a decree by the provisional government of the Second Republic definitively abolished slavery in all the French colonies .
The abolition of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ November 4 , 1848 .
This article was translated from the original in French .

The commemorations of the abolition of slavery in France scheduled for May 10 will take place despite the coronavirus pandemic, but in small groups or virtually. A Facebook Live is being organised by the Foundation for the Memory of Slavery, in partnership with FRANCE 24.
A "memorial" sculpture, decorated with a ribbon in the colours of the French flag, was unveiled in the gardens of Bordeaux's town hall on December 2, 2019.
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Due to the coronavirus pandemic, celebration of the National Day of Remembrance of the Slave Trade, Slavery and Its Abolition, held every year in France on May 10, has been disrupted.
A ceremony presided over by Prime Minister Édouard Philippe was held on Sunday, but on a small scale. "We will not put this commemoration on hold, despite the health requirements," former prime minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, now president of the Foundation for the Memory of Slavery, told FRANCE 24.
Ayrault’s foundation was charged with overseeing the remembrances this year. In addition, regional prefects were asked by the Prime Minister to organise commemorative ceremonies for the public in each department, while respecting the rules of social distancing.
"There will be modest national ceremonies, in Paris with the Prime Minister, but also in provincial and overseas communes with the help of associations," Ayrault said. "A lot of things are going to happen on May 10, including the organisation of a live broadcast on Facebook."
The live broadcast, in partnership with FRANCE 24, will bring together politicians, artists and historians for discussion.
"This is not about creating division"
The theme of this year's commemorations is 'The Missing Page'.
"We don't know how the existing framework was established. We know that there was slavery and abolition, but we know less about the fact that it took three revolutions to achieve abolition," Ayrault said.
For the former mayor of the city of Nantes, a hub in the slave trade, the occasion provides an opportunity to recall the place that slavery occupies in our national history. "It leaves deep traces and wounds. They must be repaired. It is not a question of creating division nor of setting memories against each other," Ayrault stressed, referring to critics, who complain of an excess of repentance. "This is our history. And for us to share it, we must make it known.
"The aim is not to make people feel guilty, but to provide keys to understanding and to a way of living together based on justice, equality, the fight against all forms of discrimination and racism, but also fraternity," Ayrault said, adding that it was "a contemporary struggle".
An estimated 12 to 18 million slaves were taken from sub-Saharan Africa to the Americas during the transatlantic slave trade. Under the impetus of the philosophers of the Enlightenment, a critique of slavery and the slave trade began to emerge in France in the 18th century. In his 1748 book "The Spirit of the Laws ", Charles de Montesquieu is sarcastic about "those who call themselves Christians and who practice slavery". In 1788, the Society of Friends of Blacks was created in Paris and campaigned for abolition.
A long road to abolition
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789 abolished slavery but had no impact in the French West Indies. It was not until February 1794 that the Society of Friends of Blacks succeeded in winning abolition. Napoléon Bonaparte, however, very quickly re-established slavery and the slave trade in 1802.
It was not until 27 April 1848 that a decree by the provisional government of the Second Republic definitively abolished slavery in all the French colonies. The abolition of slavery was enshrined in the Constitution on November 4, 1848.
This article was translated from the original in French.
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france24--2020-05-10--Lebanon’s rooftops provide relief, inspiration for residents under Covid-19 lockdown

Lebanese yoga instructor Rabih el-Medawar , 29 , practises Acroyoga with his Ukranian wife , fellow yoga instructor and professional choreographer , Alona Aleksandrova , 24 , on the roof of their apartment building in Beirut , Lebanon on April 27 , 2020 .
Usually the kingdom of water tanks and satellite dishes , Lebanon 's rooftops have recently been graced by unlikely scenes of locked-down residents fleeing their flats .
Deprived of rehearsal rooms or workshops by restrictions imposed to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus , or just needing some extra breathing space , many people have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Several have ventured onto their roofs to escape the lockdown after taking to the streets in recent months as part of nationwide protests against rulers deemed corrupt and inept .
AFP photographer Joseph Eid spent weeks scaling staircases to see how people have taken over underused rooftops , whose only visitors used to be caretakers , plumbers and electricians .
`` When confinement started , I soon could n't take it anymore , and that 's when I thought of checking out the roof , '' said Sherazade Mami , a Tunisian dancer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 .
Every day , she walks up to the ninth floor of her building with her water , her mat and her music to stretch and practise .
Like others discovering their rooftops during the lockdown , Mami said her outlook on the city had changed .
`` Once you 're up there , you realise -- I have an amazing view on the whole of Beirut .
It 's beautiful , the city is so quiet , '' she said of the sprawling metropolis usually known for its noise and chaotic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ birds singing , you 're under the sun , it 's heaven ...
It 's better than rehearsing in the theatre in some ways , '' she added .
A bird 's eye view of Beirut around sunset since mid-March would show largely empty streets and shuttered shops at ground level , but unusual activity above .
On a hedgehopping flight over the city , maybe yoga instructors Rabih al-Medawar and his wife Alona Aleksandrova could be spotted trying out new acrobatic moves on their roof .
Travelling north towards the seaside town @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might appear , tumbling down the red mat she had laid out on the top of her building .
And in Tripoli , Lebanon 's main northern city , artist and activist Hayat Nazer might be glimpsed working on her latest canvas .
Others too have been heading upstairs to sunbathe , read or smoke a shisha water pipe .
Nazer said she hoped the weeks of lockdown would leave a positive mark on the way residents thought of their city .
`` I really hope people will start planting and greening their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
`` They have been underused .
You can do sports there , organise barbecues , have parties . ''
Mami , the dancer , said she would not forsake her roof when the lockdown ended and her theatre reopened its doors .
`` I have found a place where I feel free and I will continue to use it , '' she said .

Usually the kingdom of water tanks and satellite dishes, Lebanon's rooftops have recently been graced by unlikely scenes of locked-down residents fleeing their flats.
Lebanese yoga instructor Rabih el-Medawar, 29, practises Acroyoga with his Ukranian wife, fellow yoga instructor and professional choreographer, Alona Aleksandrova, 24, on the roof of their apartment building in Beirut, Lebanon on April 27, 2020.
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Deprived of rehearsal rooms or workshops by restrictions imposed to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, or just needing some extra breathing space, many people have found solace without leaving their buildings.
Several have ventured onto their roofs to escape the lockdown after taking to the streets in recent months as part of nationwide protests against rulers deemed corrupt and inept.
AFP photographer Joseph Eid spent weeks scaling staircases to see how people have taken over underused rooftops, whose only visitors used to be caretakers, plumbers and electricians.
"When confinement started, I soon couldn't take it anymore, and that's when I thought of checking out the roof," said Sherazade Mami, a Tunisian dancer who has been living in Beirut since 2016.
Every day, she walks up to the ninth floor of her building with her water, her mat and her music to stretch and practise.
Like others discovering their rooftops during the lockdown, Mami said her outlook on the city had changed.
"Once you're up there, you realise -- I have an amazing view on the whole of Beirut. It's beautiful, the city is so quiet," she said of the sprawling metropolis usually known for its noise and chaotic traffic.
"You can hear the birds singing, you're under the sun, it's heaven ... It's better than rehearsing in the theatre in some ways," she added.
A place to 'feel free'
A bird's eye view of Beirut around sunset since mid-March would show largely empty streets and shuttered shops at ground level, but unusual activity above.
On a hedgehopping flight over the city, maybe yoga instructors Rabih al-Medawar and his wife Alona Aleksandrova could be spotted trying out new acrobatic moves on their roof.
Travelling north towards the seaside town of Byblos, Lebanese gymnast Karen Dib might appear, tumbling down the red mat she had laid out on the top of her building.
And in Tripoli, Lebanon's main northern city, artist and activist Hayat Nazer might be glimpsed working on her latest canvas.
Others too have been heading upstairs to sunbathe, read or smoke a shisha water pipe.
Nazer said she hoped the weeks of lockdown would leave a positive mark on the way residents thought of their city.
"I really hope people will start planting and greening their roofs to help the environment," she said.
"They have been underused. You can do sports there, organise barbecues, have parties."
Mami, the dancer, said she would not forsake her roof when the lockdown ended and her theatre reopened its doors.
"I have found a place where I feel free and I will continue to use it," she said.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-05-10--No ‘Silence, s’il vous plaît’? French Open could take place without fans

The ATP are looking to play the French Open and clay-court tennis tournaments this September 2020 .
The French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros could be held without fans later this year , the president of the French Tennis Federation ( FTF ) said on Sunday .
The clay-court tournament at Roland Garros was initially slated to be held May 24-June 7 , but was postponed amid the coronavirus pandemic and rescheduled for Sept. 20-Oct. 4 .
Bernard Giudicelli tells French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche that organizers are considering the prospect it might need to go ahead without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one week later .
“ Organizing it without fans would allow a part of the economy to keep turning , ( like ) television rights and partnerships .
It ’ s not to be overlooked , '' Giudicelli said in the newspaper interview Sunday .
“ We 're not ruling any option out.
” However , he conceded that “ the lack of visibility ” when hosting a tournament without fans is a concern .
Recent reports have speculated that the French Open could be rescheduled again .
“ The 20th or the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Giudicelli said .
The FTF is refunding all tickets purchased for the original dates of Roland Garros by the end of May , and a new ticketing procedure will be opened if it goes ahead .

The French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros could be held without fans later this year, the president of the French Tennis Federation (FTF) said on Sunday.
The ATP are looking to play the French Open and clay-court tennis tournaments this September 2020.
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The clay-court tournament at Roland Garros was initially slated to be held May 24-June 7, but was postponed amid the coronavirus pandemic and rescheduled for Sept. 20-Oct. 4.
Bernard Giudicelli tells French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche that organizers are considering the prospect it might need to go ahead without fans present. It could even start one week later.
“Organizing it without fans would allow a part of the economy to keep turning, (like) television rights and partnerships. It’s not to be overlooked," Giudicelli said in the newspaper interview Sunday. “We're not ruling any option out.”
However, he conceded that “the lack of visibility” when hosting a tournament without fans is a concern.
Recent reports have speculated that the French Open could be rescheduled again.
“The 20th or the 27th, that does not change much,” Giudicelli said.
The FTF is refunding all tickets purchased for the original dates of Roland Garros by the end of May, and a new ticketing procedure will be opened if it goes ahead.
(AP)
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france24--2020-05-10--Iran ready for prisoner swap talks with US, citing Covid-19 threat as impetus

A handout picture from the Iranian Foreign Minister on December 7 , 2019 , showing Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif ( L ) and Iranian scientist Massoud Soleimani on a plane at an undisclosed location .
Tehran announced the release of Soleimani from the US shortly before Washington declared American researcher Xiyue Wang was returning home from Iran in an apparent prisoner swap between the two nations .
Iran says it is ready for unconditional prisoner swap talks with the United States because of fears that the coronavirus could put the lives of the prisoners at risk , Iranian media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Khabaronline.ir , quoted Cabinet spokesman Ali Rabiei as saying there is a “ readiness for all prisoners ” to be discussed without condition .
“ But the U.S. has refused to answer , so far , ” said Rabiei .
“ We hope that as the outbreak of the Covid-19 disease threatens the lives of Iranian citizens in the U.S. prisons , the U.S. government eventually will prefer lives to politics.
” Rabiei said Iran considers the U.S. government responsible for the health of the Iranian prisoners , adding that “ it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to bring the situation to an end.
” Rabiei did not elaborate but Iranian media in recent months said there are several Iranians in U.S. custody , including Sirous Asgari , a 60-year-old university professor .
Last week , U.S. officials said they were making progress in efforts to secure the release of a detained Navy veteran in Iran .
But they were also pushing back on Iranian suggestions that a swap was in the works for the imprisoned Iranian American officials have been trying to deport since last year .
Ken Cuccinelli @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said Wednesday that the cases of American detainee Michael White in Iran and Asgari , the Iranian imprisoned in the United States , have never been connected .
He expressed frustration with recent comments from Iranian officials that there may be a link between the two and complained that Iran had been slow to accept Asgari ’ s return .
White , of Imperial Beach , California , was detained in July 2018 while visiting a girlfriend in Iran .
He was convicted of insulting Iran ’ s supreme leader and posting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from prison in March on a medical furlough that required him to remain in the country .
White is among tens of thousands of prisoners granted medical furloughs by Iran , which was one of the first countries to be hit hard by the spreading coronavirus .
Trump administration officials have repeatedly said they consider the release of American hostages and detainees to be a high priority .
In December , Iran released a Princeton University scholar held for three years on widely disputed espionage charges in exchange for the release of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the family of former FBI agent Robert Levinson , who vanished in Iran 13 years ago , said they had been informed by U.S. officials that they had determined that Levinson was probably dead .
Officials have not said how they reached that conclusion .

Iran says it is ready for unconditional prisoner swap talks with the United States because of fears that the coronavirus could put the lives of the prisoners at risk, Iranian media reported Sunday.
A handout picture from the Iranian Foreign Minister on December 7, 2019, showing Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (L) and Iranian scientist Massoud Soleimani on a plane at an undisclosed location. Tehran announced the release of Soleimani from the US shortly before Washington declared American researcher Xiyue Wang was returning home from Iran in an apparent prisoner swap between the two nations.
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An Iranian news website, Khabaronline.ir, quoted Cabinet spokesman Ali Rabiei as saying there is a “readiness for all prisoners” to be discussed without condition.
“But the U.S. has refused to answer, so far,” said Rabiei. “We hope that as the outbreak of the Covid-19 disease threatens the lives of Iranian citizens in the U.S. prisons, the U.S. government eventually will prefer lives to politics.”
Rabiei said Iran considers the U.S. government responsible for the health of the Iranian prisoners, adding that “it seems that the U.S. has more readiness to bring the situation to an end.”
Rabiei did not elaborate but Iranian media in recent months said there are several Iranians in U.S. custody, including Sirous Asgari, a 60-year-old university professor.
Last week, U.S. officials said they were making progress in efforts to secure the release of a detained Navy veteran in Iran. But they were also pushing back on Iranian suggestions that a swap was in the works for the imprisoned Iranian American officials have been trying to deport since last year.
Ken Cuccinelli, the acting deputy Homeland Security secretary, said Wednesday that the cases of American detainee Michael White in Iran and Asgari, the Iranian imprisoned in the United States, have never been connected. He expressed frustration with recent comments from Iranian officials that there may be a link between the two and complained that Iran had been slow to accept Asgari’s return.
Medical furloughs for prisoners in Iran
White, of Imperial Beach, California, was detained in July 2018 while visiting a girlfriend in Iran. He was convicted of insulting Iran’s supreme leader and posting private information online.
He was released from prison in March on a medical furlough that required him to remain in the country. White is among tens of thousands of prisoners granted medical furloughs by Iran, which was one of the first countries to be hit hard by the spreading coronavirus.
Trump administration officials have repeatedly said they consider the release of American hostages and detainees to be a high priority.
In December, Iran released a Princeton University scholar held for three years on widely disputed espionage charges in exchange for the release of a detained Iranian scientist.
In March, the family of former FBI agent Robert Levinson, who vanished in Iran 13 years ago, said they had been informed by U.S. officials that they had determined that Levinson was probably dead. Officials have not said how they reached that conclusion.
(AP)
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france24--2020-05-11--Live: Millions cautiously emerge from eight-week lockdown in France

Commuters , wearing protective face masks , leave the Saint-Lazare train station in Paris , on the first day mask @ @ @ @ @ transport , after France begun a gradual end to a nationwide lockdown due to the @ @ @ @ @ in France , May 11 , 2020 .
Millions of French people are cautiously emerging @ @ @ @ @ of one of Europe ’ s strictest lockdowns .
Follow day one of France ’ @ @ @ @ @ .
France , where more than 26,000 people have died from Covid-19 , has been @ @ @ @ @ March 17 to slow the spread of the disease , with residents only allowed out @ @ @ @ @ and a bit of exercise .
As many of those restrictions are gradually lifted from @ @ @ @ @ urging members of the public to behave responsibly to avoid a sudden spike in coronavirus @ @

As it happened: Millions emerge from eight-week Covid-19 lockdown in France
Millions of French people cautiously emerged on Monday from eight weeks of one of Europe’s strictest lockdowns aimed at stamping out the spread of Covid-19. Read our live blog to see how the easing of restrictions unfolded throughout the country.
A woman walks down Paris's Champs-Elysèes boulevard as shops reopened for the first time in eight weeks as France lifted its nationwide Covid-19 lockdown on May 11. AFP - ERIC PIERMONT
Advertising Read more France cautiously emerged from one of Europe's strictest coronavirus lockdowns on Monday, allowing non-essential shops, factories and other businesses to reopen for the first time in eight weeks.
Schools in France will be re-opened in phases and people can now leave home without government paperwork, although documentation is still needed for rush-hour travel around Paris.
Although some trains and stations in the wider Paris region have been worryingly crowded, France's first day post-lockdown is "going as it should", the country's transport secretary, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari said.
The government has called for caution to avoid a sudden spike in cases amid the lifting of restrictions.
France on Monday reported 263 new deaths from Covid-19 against 70 the day before. However, Monday's figures often tend to register a spike after the weekend lull.
More than 26,000 people have died from Covid-19 in France, the world's fifth highest official death toll. The rate of infection has been steadily declining since early April.
France’s lifting of its lockdown comes amid worries over fresh coronavirus cases in some countries that have won praise for their handling of the pandemic, such as South Korea and Germany.
Senior civil servant Jean Castex, who is advising the government on plans for lifting the lockdown, says the government must prepare to reimpose strict measures in the case of a second wave. Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe Take international news everywhere with you! Download the France 24 app


france24--2020-05-11--Iranian navy says 19 sailors killed in ‘friendly fire’ incident

An Iranian flag flutters next to a ground-to-ground Sajil missile in this file photo supplied by the semi-official Fars news agency .
One Iranian warship accidentally struck another with a missile during an exercise , killing 19 sailors and wounding 15 others , Iran ’ s navy said on Monday .
The incident took place during training in the Gulf of Oman , a sensitive waterway that connects to the Strait of Hormuz through which about a fifth of the world ’ s oil passes .
Iran regularly conducts exercises in the area .
The frigate Jamaran fired at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Konarak .
However , the support ship stayed too close to the target and was hit , state broadcaster IRIB said .
`` The incident took place in the perimeter of Iran ’ s southern Bandar-e Jask port on the Gulf of Oman during Iranian Navy drills on Sunday afternoon , in which 19 sailors were killed and 15 others were injured , '' state TV said , quoting the navy .
Fars news agency quoted an unidentified military official as denying some Iranian media reports that the Konarak had sunk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undergoing regarding the cause of the incident , student news agency ISNA said .
IRIB said the Dutch-made Konarak vessel , which was purchased before Iran 's 1979 Islamic revolution , had been overhauled in 2018 , and is equipped with four cruise missiles .
The incident took place at a time of heightened tensions between Iran and the United States since 2018 , when the United States withdrew from a nuclear deal between major powers and Iran , and Washington re-imposed sanctions on Tehran .
Animosity deepened in early January when a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani .
Iran retaliated on Jan. 9 by firing missiles at US military bases in Iraq .
Later that day , Iran 's armed forces shot down a Ukrainian airliner , killing all 176 people aboard , in what the military later acknowledged was a mistake .

One Iranian warship accidentally struck another with a missile during an exercise, killing 19 sailors and wounding 15 others, Iran’s navy said on Monday.
An Iranian flag flutters next to a ground-to-ground Sajil missile in this file photo supplied by the semi-official Fars news agency.
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The incident took place during training in the Gulf of Oman, a sensitive waterway that connects to the Strait of Hormuz through which about a fifth of the world’s oil passes. Iran regularly conducts exercises in the area.
The frigate Jamaran fired at a training target released by a support ship, the Konarak. However, the support ship stayed too close to the target and was hit, state broadcaster IRIB said.
"The incident took place in the perimeter of Iran’s southern Bandar-e Jask port on the Gulf of Oman during Iranian Navy drills on Sunday afternoon, in which 19 sailors were killed and 15 others were injured," state TV said, quoting the navy.
Fars news agency quoted an unidentified military official as denying some Iranian media reports that the Konarak had sunk. The navy statement said investigations were undergoing regarding the cause of the incident, student news agency ISNA said.
IRIB said the Dutch-made Konarak vessel, which was purchased before Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, had been overhauled in 2018, and is equipped with four cruise missiles.
The incident took place at a time of heightened tensions between Iran and the United States since 2018, when the United States withdrew from a nuclear deal between major powers and Iran, and Washington re-imposed sanctions on Tehran.
Animosity deepened in early January when a US drone strike in Baghdad killed top Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani. Iran retaliated on Jan. 9 by firing missiles at US military bases in Iraq. Later that day, Iran's armed forces shot down a Ukrainian airliner, killing all 176 people aboard, in what the military later acknowledged was a mistake.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-09--France eases Covid-19 lockdown: What you need to know

French police check motorists ' outings authorisation on Paris 's ring road on April 11 , 2020 , during the 26th day of a strict lockdown in France aimed at curbing the spread of the Covid-19 disease caused by the novel coronavirus .
On Monday , May 11 , France begins a “ gradual ” easing of its Covid-19 lockdown measures .
Here ’ s everything you need to know about the restrictions being lifted .
After eight weeks in lockdown , France is set to enter a new phase on Monday , as the government begins a “ very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movement , businesses and schools .
The partial reopening comes as more than 26,000 people have died of Covid-19 in France , while more than 22,000 people are still in hospital being treated for the virus .
The number of patients in intensive care , like the number of hospitalisations overall , has been in steady decline for close to a month , but remains high at more than 2,800 – comparable to the figure in late March .
So is France really ready to reopen ?
From schools to cafés , parks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you need to know about the country ’ s plans for lifting Covid-19 restrictions .
Freedom of movement up to 100km The starkest difference for French residents on Monday is that they will no longer have to fill out a form to leave the house .
Trips of up to 100 kilometres from home ( or within one ’ s département or district ) will be allowed without justification , as will gatherings of up to 10 people .
Longer trips will still be allowed only for work or for “ compelling family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signed form , said Interior Minister Christophe Castaner .
Outdoor activities , such as running , will no longer be subject to one-hour limits .
Some beaches will even begin to reopen , as determined by local authorities .
Guiding the government ’ s plans for easing the lockdown is the division of the country into two zones , green and red , based on health indicators .
“ The country is cut in two , with the virus circulating more quickly in some regions , ” said Prime Minister Édouard Philippe on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May 11 plans .
“ Some areas are still seeing an active circulation of the virus or a lot of pressure on hospitals .
Those are classified as red areas.
” The red zone will comprise four regions making up the northeast of France ( including Paris and its suburbs ) , as well as the Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte .
Altogether , 32 of France ’ s 101 départements – home to 27 million people – will remain in the red .
For now , though , the government has imposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preferring to leave specifics to local authorities .
For the week of May 11 , parks and gardens are the only public places that will reopen in green zones but not red , unless otherwise specified by mayors or prefects .
Travel between the two zones is allowed , as long as it respects the 100-kilometre limit .
And primary schools in both zones will gradually begin to reopen , at local authorities ’ discretion .
The gap between the two zones will widen on May 18 , when middle schools in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while those in the red won ’ t .
At the beginning of June , the difference between the two zones is expected to grow further .
At that point , Philippe said , high schools , bars , and restaurants in the green zone may be able to reopen , but not in départements still marked as red .
As of Friday , France ’ s main transport operators have gradually begun restoring traffic to normal .
National rail operator SNCF says that , by Monday , roughly one-third of high-speed trains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lines will be operating at 40 to 50 percent ( and slightly higher in the Paris region ) .
The Paris métro , bus and suburban rail lines operated by RATP will return to 75 percent of regular service , the agency said , with the city ’ s two automated métro lines running on regular schedules .
Sixty of 302 métro stations will remain closed , however .
Moreover , passenger capacity will remain severely limited : in order to respect social-distancing rules , RATP wants to limit ridership to 15 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hour will be required to supply a certificate from their employer justifying their trip .
All passengers on public transport nationwide will also be required to wear a mask or risk a €135 fine .
The government said that , starting Monday , it would be supplying 10 million masks to local transport operators to distribute to passengers , including 4.4 million for the Paris region .
Unions worry , however , that the capital ’ s transport agency doesn ’ t actually have sufficient means to monitor and limit ridership , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks , and other protective equipment to both workers and customers remain inadequate .
“ There ’ s a rush [ to reopen ] that could be to the detriment ” of Paris residents , Bertrand Hammache , secretary general of the CGT-RATP union , told France Info .
Many in the capital are keen to avoid public transport anyway and are instead turning to cycling – a move that Paris and surrounding suburbs are seeking to accommodate and encourage by opening dozens of kilometres of temporary bike lanes .
Some temporary lanes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the network of permanent cycle paths that has rapidly expanded under Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo .
Large portions of major streets , including the Rue de Rivoli , will also be closed to cars .
Pedestrians , too , will get a little more breathing room , as the city temporarily reduces parking on smaller streets to make more space for those on foot .
> > Paris to turn more streets over to bicycles as Covid-19 lockdown lifts In addition to facilitating social distancing , Paris ’ s deputy mayor for transport @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the measures will prevent people from switching in large numbers from public transit to their cars .
He said such a shift would be “ neither viable , nor desirable ” in the capital , which has long faced severe air pollution and congestion .
Schools are one of the biggest flash points in the government ’ s reopening plans .
Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer has affirmed that 80 to 85 percent of primary schools will reopen as soon as Tuesday , May 12 , with roughly 1 million children set to return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first step toward a full reopening of the education system .
The decision goes against the advice of the French government ’ s Scientific Council on the virus , which recommended that schools not reopen until September .
In a late April poll , 6 in 10 respondents also said they opposed the reopening .
Catherine Da Silva , principal of a primary school in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis and spokesperson for the SNUipp 93 teachers ’ union , said her school was “ not at all ” ready to reopen .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s abusive to kindergarteners , ” she told France Info on Friday .
She cited a lack of capacity for cleaning and the impossibility of imposing social-distancing rules on four- and five-year-olds .
The government insists that reopening schools is necessary , with Blanquer noting that “ extremely significant social problems ” have been exacerbated during the lockdown and underprivileged students disproportionately affected .
Parents will , however , have the option not to send their children back to school for now .
And middle , high-school and university students will continue to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to open more gradually over the coming weeks and months .
For many , the most visible sign of a return to normal will be the reopening of most businesses .
Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Friday that “ all businesses except cafés , bars and restaurants will reopen ” .
In order to do so , businesses will need to follow safety guidelines outlined in a 20-page government document .
The document sets out a variety of specific recommendations for maintaining social distance between workers and customers , including capacity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indicate required distances .
The largest shops , including department stores and shopping centres , are negotiating with unions to establish specific protocols for reopening .
For the time being , no large shopping malls will reopen in the Paris region .
Cultural establishments including theatres , cinemas and large museums will remain closed , but libraries will begin to reopen .
In businesses where distancing is impossible , masks will be required along with goggles and/or visors .
Hairdressers and barbers , who have seen a surge in appointments for the coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meanwhile , the government has advised that those who are able to work remotely should continue to do so .
This represents about one quarter of the French workforce , according to national labour statistics agency Dares .
Roughly another quarter has continued to show up to their physical workplace throughout the lockdown .
France ’ s vast tourism industry will remain largely shuttered for now , with borders staying closed to non-European Union visitors until at least June 15 , said Interior Minister Castaner .
Cross-border travel will remain the “ exception @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who do enter France from outside the EU ’ s open-border Schengen area – whether citizens or foreigners – will face a mandatory two-week quarantine upon arrival .
Those entering from EU countries or the United Kingdom will be exempt , although Health Minister Olivier Véran has suggested that France reserves the right to impose specific restrictions “ if the epidemic situation were to get out of control in one of the Schengen countries ” .

On Monday, May 11, France begins a “gradual” easing of its Covid-19 lockdown measures. Here’s everything you need to know about the restrictions being lifted.
French police check motorists' outings authorisation on Paris's ring road on April 11, 2020, during the 26th day of a strict lockdown in France aimed at curbing the spread of the Covid-19 disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
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After eight weeks in lockdown, France is set to enter a new phase on Monday, as the government begins a “very gradual process” of easing restrictions on movement, businesses and schools.
The partial reopening comes as more than 26,000 people have died of Covid-19 in France, while more than 22,000 people are still in hospital being treated for the virus. The number of patients in intensive care, like the number of hospitalisations overall, has been in steady decline for close to a month, but remains high at more than 2,800 – comparable to the figure in late March.
So is France really ready to reopen? From schools to cafés, parks to transportation, here’s what you need to know about the country’s plans for lifting Covid-19 restrictions.
Freedom of movement up to 100km
The starkest difference for French residents on Monday is that they will no longer have to fill out a form to leave the house. Trips of up to 100 kilometres from home (or within one’s département or district) will be allowed without justification, as will gatherings of up to 10 people. Longer trips will still be allowed only for work or for “compelling family reasons”, as justified by a signed form, said Interior Minister Christophe Castaner.
Outdoor activities, such as running, will no longer be subject to one-hour limits. Some beaches will even begin to reopen, as determined by local authorities.
Red and green zones
Guiding the government’s plans for easing the lockdown is the division of the country into two zones, green and red, based on health indicators.
“The country is cut in two, with the virus circulating more quickly in some regions,” said Prime Minister Édouard Philippe on Thursday at a press conference confirming the May 11 plans. “Some areas are still seeing an active circulation of the virus or a lot of pressure on hospitals. Those are classified as red areas.”
#Déconfinement | Situation au jeudi 7 mai
Synthèse des indicateurs de l'activité épidémique :
◾ Tension hospitalière sur les capacités en réanimation
◾ Circulation active du virus #COVID19
◾ Taux de couverture des besoins en tests
📲 En savoir plus : https://t.co/AgaEUYkjcE pic.twitter.com/TgibndtINQ — Ministère des Solidarités et de la Santé (@MinSoliSante) May 7, 2020
The red zone will comprise four regions making up the northeast of France (including Paris and its suburbs), as well as the Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte. Altogether, 32 of France’s 101 départements – home to 27 million people – will remain in the red.
For now, though, the government has imposed few additional restrictions on red areas, preferring to leave specifics to local authorities. For the week of May 11, parks and gardens are the only public places that will reopen in green zones but not red, unless otherwise specified by mayors or prefects. Travel between the two zones is allowed, as long as it respects the 100-kilometre limit. And primary schools in both zones will gradually begin to reopen, at local authorities’ discretion.
The gap between the two zones will widen on May 18, when middle schools in the green zone should begin to reopen, while those in the red won’t. At the beginning of June, the difference between the two zones is expected to grow further. At that point, Philippe said, high schools, bars, and restaurants in the green zone may be able to reopen, but not in départements still marked as red.
Transportation
As of Friday, France’s main transport operators have gradually begun restoring traffic to normal. National rail operator SNCF says that, by Monday, roughly one-third of high-speed trains will be running again, while regional lines will be operating at 40 to 50 percent (and slightly higher in the Paris region).
The Paris métro, bus and suburban rail lines operated by RATP will return to 75 percent of regular service, the agency said, with the city’s two automated métro lines running on regular schedules. Sixty of 302 métro stations will remain closed, however.
Moreover, passenger capacity will remain severely limited: in order to respect social-distancing rules, RATP wants to limit ridership to 15 percent of normal levels. Passengers at rush hour will be required to supply a certificate from their employer justifying their trip.
All passengers on public transport nationwide will also be required to wear a mask or risk a €135 fine. The government said that, starting Monday, it would be supplying 10 million masks to local transport operators to distribute to passengers, including 4.4 million for the Paris region.
Unions worry, however, that the capital’s transport agency doesn’t actually have sufficient means to monitor and limit ridership, and that plans to distribute hand sanitiser, masks, and other protective equipment to both workers and customers remain inadequate.
“There’s a rush [to reopen] that could be to the detriment” of Paris residents, Bertrand Hammache, secretary general of the CGT-RATP union, told France Info.
Bikes, bikes, bikes
Many in the capital are keen to avoid public transport anyway and are instead turning to cycling – a move that Paris and surrounding suburbs are seeking to accommodate and encourage by opening dozens of kilometres of temporary bike lanes.
Some temporary lanes are already in place, adding to the network of permanent cycle paths that has rapidly expanded under Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo.
A customer rides away from a bike shop in Paris on May 6,2020. © AFP / FRANCE 24
Large portions of major streets, including the Rue de Rivoli, will also be closed to cars.
Pedestrians, too, will get a little more breathing room, as the city temporarily reduces parking on smaller streets to make more space for those on foot.
>> Paris to turn more streets over to bicycles as Covid-19 lockdown lifts
In addition to facilitating social distancing, Paris’s deputy mayor for transport, Christophe Najdovski, says he hopes the measures will prevent people from switching in large numbers from public transit to their cars. He said such a shift would be “neither viable, nor desirable” in the capital, which has long faced severe air pollution and congestion.
Education
Schools are one of the biggest flash points in the government’s reopening plans. Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer has affirmed that 80 to 85 percent of primary schools will reopen as soon as Tuesday, May 12, with roughly 1 million children set to return to school. This will mark the first step toward a full reopening of the education system.
The decision goes against the advice of the French government’s Scientific Council on the virus, which recommended that schools not reopen until September. In a late April poll, 6 in 10 respondents also said they opposed the reopening.
Catherine Da Silva, principal of a primary school in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis and spokesperson for the SNUipp 93 teachers’ union, said her school was “not at all” ready to reopen.
“We're doing something that’s abusive to kindergarteners,” she told France Info on Friday. She cited a lack of capacity for cleaning and the impossibility of imposing social-distancing rules on four- and five-year-olds.
The government insists that reopening schools is necessary, with Blanquer noting that “extremely significant social problems” have been exacerbated during the lockdown and underprivileged students disproportionately affected.
Parents will, however, have the option not to send their children back to school for now. And middle, high-school and university students will continue to stay home, with secondary education set to open more gradually over the coming weeks and months.
Businesses
For many, the most visible sign of a return to normal will be the reopening of most businesses. Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Friday that “all businesses except cafés, bars and restaurants will reopen”.
In order to do so, businesses will need to follow safety guidelines outlined in a 20-page government document. The document sets out a variety of specific recommendations for maintaining social distance between workers and customers, including capacity restrictions and markings on the ground to indicate required distances.
The largest shops, including department stores and shopping centres, are negotiating with unions to establish specific protocols for reopening. For the time being, no large shopping malls will reopen in the Paris region.
Cultural establishments including theatres, cinemas and large museums will remain closed, but libraries will begin to reopen.
>> France refuses Amazon’s Covid-19 emergency fund request
In businesses where distancing is impossible, masks will be required along with goggles and/or visors. Hairdressers and barbers, who have seen a surge in appointments for the coming weeks, are taking additional precautions.
Meanwhile, the government has advised that those who are able to work remotely should continue to do so. This represents about one quarter of the French workforce, according to national labour statistics agency Dares. Roughly another quarter has continued to show up to their physical workplace throughout the lockdown.
International travel
France’s vast tourism industry will remain largely shuttered for now, with borders staying closed to non-European Union visitors until at least June 15, said Interior Minister Castaner. Cross-border travel will remain the “exception”, he said.
Any travellers who do enter France from outside the EU’s open-border Schengen area – whether citizens or foreigners – will face a mandatory two-week quarantine upon arrival. Those entering from EU countries or the United Kingdom will be exempt, although Health Minister Olivier Véran has suggested that France reserves the right to impose specific restrictions “if the epidemic situation were to get out of control in one of the Schengen countries”.
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france24--2020-05-11--China reports rise in Covid-19 cases, Beijing calls for vigilance

A worker in a protective suit collects a swab on April 7 , 2020 , from a construction worker for nucleic acid test in Wuhan , Hubei province , the epicentre of the novel coronavirus disease ( Covid-19 ) outbreak in China , .
China reported 17 new Covid-19 cases in the mainland on May 10 , rising from a day earlier and marking the highest daily increase since April 28 , highlighting the difficulty in stamping out the disease .
Though the new case count remains sharply lower than the peak of the outbreak in February , the data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With the pandemic having spread globally , Beijing continues to exhort vigilance even as it tries to restart the economy .
Of the new cases reported on Sunday , seven were so-called imported cases in Inner Mongolia involving travellers from overseas , compared with two reported a day earlier .
Wuhan , the epicentre of the outbreak in China , reported five new locally transmitted Covid-19 cases , the highest since March 11 .
All were in the same residential compound in the city .
Northeastern Jilin province , which on Saturday reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its cities , reported three new local cases .
Nearby Liaoning and Heilongjiang provinces each reported one case , adding to worries about a resurgence of the outbreak in the region .
The total number of infected now stands at 82,918 and the death toll remained unchanged at 4,633 .
The number of asymptomatic Covid-19 cases – people who are infected but do not exhibit symptoms – fell to 12 on May 10 compared with 20 reported a day earlier .

China reported 17 new Covid-19 cases in the mainland on May 10, rising from a day earlier and marking the highest daily increase since April 28, highlighting the difficulty in stamping out the disease.
A worker in a protective suit collects a swab on April 7, 2020, from a construction worker for nucleic acid test in Wuhan, Hubei province, the epicentre of the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak in China,.
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Though the new case count remains sharply lower than the peak of the outbreak in February, the data underscores continued risks posed by Covid-19. With the pandemic having spread globally, Beijing continues to exhort vigilance even as it tries to restart the economy.
Of the new cases reported on Sunday, seven were so-called imported cases in Inner Mongolia involving travellers from overseas, compared with two reported a day earlier.
Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak in China, reported five new locally transmitted Covid-19 cases, the highest since March 11. All were in the same residential compound in the city.
Northeastern Jilin province, which on Saturday reported a cluster of infections in one of its cities, reported three new local cases. Nearby Liaoning and Heilongjiang provinces each reported one case, adding to worries about a resurgence of the outbreak in the region.
The total number of infected now stands at 82,918 and the death toll remained unchanged at 4,633.
The number of asymptomatic Covid-19 cases – people who are infected but do not exhibit symptoms – fell to 12 on May 10 compared with 20 reported a day earlier.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-11--‘Return to abnormal’: French newspapers mark the end of lockdown

IN THE PAPERS – Monday , May 11 : There 's a mix of gratitude , nostalgia and uncertainty in the French papers as they herald the end of the country 's eight-week lockdown .
Le Parisien and 20 Minutes salute essential workers , Libération declares a `` return to abnormal '' , and l'Opinion notes that France is `` de-confined but defiant '' .
Speaking of defiance , we end with the story of two rather `` buoyant '' lockdown-defying bathers .
As France ends this nearly two-month lockdown period , many papers are taking a moment to recognise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for us to get through it .
`` Thank you for everything '' is the front-page headline from 20 Minutes .
Papers are saluting healthcare workers , but also cashiers , custodians , delivery drivers and volunteers .
`` If we ’ re starting up again it ’ s thanks to them , '' writes Le Parisien .
The paper is being sold along with a single-use mask today for readers in the Paris area .
France 's Catholic paper La Croix is taking a look back at this unprecedented collective experience .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ what they ’ re taking away from the lockdown .
You can read several of the answers on the front page : `` an incredible adventure '' , `` the value of human life '' and with that a desire for `` fewer plans , more living '' .
For left-wing daily Libération , today doesn ’ t mark the return to normal but the return to `` abnormal '' .
With its two-zone system , France is now divided into red and green but the paper says it 's really entering a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constrained : The end of the lockdown is not going to be a party .
For Communist paper L ’ Humanité , this is the start of `` Freedom under surveillance '' .
The paper invites readers to think about what changes they want to see in this new post-virus world and warns that we can ’ t let the debate get stifled .
According to business paper L ’ Opinion , the French are `` de-confined but defiant '' .
Their front-page cartoon shows Macron faced with the unions and the Yellow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` It ’ s urgent that you re-open the country so we can shut it down again . ''
And we end with a story of defiance : two men in the south of France who wanted to go swimming but decided they just couldn ’ t wait until the end of the lockdown so they went disguised as buoys !
Police spotted them bobbing around in the water .
One of them got away , the other had to pay the €135 fine .
He told journalists : `` If it made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this period , we 'll happily pay . ''
> > Follow our liveblog : France urges caution as millions emerge from Covid-19 lockdown

IN THE PAPERS – Monday, May 11: There's a mix of gratitude, nostalgia and uncertainty in the French papers as they herald the end of the country's eight-week lockdown. Le Parisien and 20 Minutes salute essential workers, Libération declares a "return to abnormal", and l'Opinion notes that France is "de-confined but defiant". Speaking of defiance, we end with the story of two rather "buoyant" lockdown-defying bathers.
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As France ends this nearly two-month lockdown period, many papers are taking a moment to recognise the essential workers that made it possible for us to get through it. "Thank you for everything" is the front-page headline from 20 Minutes.
Papers are saluting healthcare workers, but also cashiers, custodians, delivery drivers and volunteers. "If we’re starting up again it’s thanks to them," writes Le Parisien. The paper is being sold along with a single-use mask today for readers in the Paris area.
France's Catholic paper La Croix is taking a look back at this unprecedented collective experience. The paper talked to 100 people about what they’re taking away from the lockdown. You can read several of the answers on the front page: "an incredible adventure", "the value of human life" and with that a desire for "fewer plans, more living".
For left-wing daily Libération, today doesn’t mark the return to normal but the return to "abnormal". With its two-zone system, France is now divided into red and green but the paper says it's really entering a grey area. Half free, half constrained: The end of the lockdown is not going to be a party.
For Communist paper L’Humanité, this is the start of "Freedom under surveillance". The paper invites readers to think about what changes they want to see in this new post-virus world and warns that we can’t let the debate get stifled.
According to business paper L’Opinion, the French are "de-confined but defiant". Their front-page cartoon shows Macron faced with the unions and the Yellow Vest protesters who are telling him: "It’s urgent that you re-open the country so we can shut it down again."
And we end with a story of defiance: two men in the south of France who wanted to go swimming but decided they just couldn’t wait until the end of the lockdown so they went disguised as buoys! Police spotted them bobbing around in the water. One of them got away, the other had to pay the €135 fine. He told journalists: "If it made people smile and brought some joy to this period, we'll happily pay."
>> Follow our liveblog: France urges caution as millions emerge from Covid-19 lockdown
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france24--2020-05-11--From lockdown, to ‘locks off’: Hair salons fully booked as France reopens for business

From lockdown , to ‘ locks off ’ : Hair salons fully booked as France reopens for business French hairdressers @ @ @ @ @ weeks under lockdown , ready to welcome an onslaught of clients .
Around 60 percent @ @ @ @ @ will book an appointment for a haircut within the first week , with some salons @ @ @ @ @ next three weeks .
They are required to put health and safety measures in place @ @ @ @ @ cleaning and prohibiting comforts such as magazines and hot drinks .
FRANCE 24 's Nadia @ @ @ @ @ .

From lockdown, to ‘locks off’: Hair salons fully booked as France reopens for business
02:03 Hair salons are fully booked as France reopens for business after eight weeks under lockdown. © FRANCE 24 screen grab
French hairdressers reopened on Monday after eight weeks under lockdown, ready to welcome an onslaught of clients. Around 60 percent of French people say they will book an appointment for a haircut within the first week, with some salons already fully booked for the next three weeks. They are required to put health and safety measures in place including protective masks, regular cleaning and prohibiting comforts such as magazines and hot drinks. FRANCE 24's Nadia Massih and Clovis Casali report.


france24--2020-05-11--New Zealand to further ease lockdown after stemming Covid-19 spread

New Zealand 's strict confinement rules and wide use of testing have been credited with curbing the spread of the coronavirus in the South Pacific nation .
New Zealand businesses including malls , cinemas , cafes and gyms will reopen on Thursday after some of the tightest restrictions in the world to stop the spread of the coronavirus were further loosened on Monday .
The Pacific nation was locked down for more than month under `` level 4 '' restrictions that were eased by a notch in late April .
It has continued to enforce strict social measures on many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevent widespread community proliferation of the virus .
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the staggered move to `` level 2 '' restrictions would mean retail , restaurants and other public spaces including playgrounds could reopen from Thursday .
Schools can open from next Monday while bars can only reopen from May 21 , Ardern said .
Gatherings will be limited to 10 people .
`` The upshot is that in 10 days ’ time we will have reopened most businesses in New Zealand , and sooner than many other countries around the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` But that fits with our plan – go hard , go early – so we can get our economy moving again sooner , and so we get the economic benefit of getting our health response right . ''
Businesses will be required to have physical distancing and strict hygiene measures in place .
Air New Zealand announced it would resume seven more domestic routes when the country enters alert level 2. International travel , however , would not be possible as borders will remain closed except for returning New Zealanders .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ rugby board announced that the country 's top league would resume from June 13 with its five Super Rugby teams playing each other over 10 weeks .
New Zealand is the first major rugby nation to announce a restart to competition since the Covid-19 pandemic brought sport to a standstill around the world .
Prime Minister Ardern cautioned that the lockdown easing measures would be reviewed again in two weeks .
The government plans to introduce a new law that would allow authorities to enforce physical distancing and control gatherings of people after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdown rules .
Three new cases of Covid-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus , were confirmed on Monday , the health ministry said in a statement .
The cases – two hospital nurses and one related to overseas travel – bring New Zealand ’ s total confirmed Covid-19 infections to 1,147 , the ministry said , adding that 93 percent of all confirmed and probable cases have recovered .
The government will unveil its annual budget on Thursday , and has warned the country would run fiscal deficits for years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beyond previous targets due to its economic support measures .
Ardern has been under pressure to ease the lockdown measures with the main opposition National Party saying they were kept on for too long , crippling several small businesses and hurting the economy .
People who could not make it to weddings , funerals or even visit loved ones had also called on the government to ease curbs sooner .

New Zealand businesses including malls, cinemas, cafes and gyms will reopen on Thursday after some of the tightest restrictions in the world to stop the spread of the coronavirus were further loosened on Monday.
New Zealand's strict confinement rules and wide use of testing have been credited with curbing the spread of the coronavirus in the South Pacific nation.
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The Pacific nation was locked down for more than month under "level 4" restrictions that were eased by a notch in late April. It has continued to enforce strict social measures on many of its citizens and businesses, helping prevent widespread community proliferation of the virus.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the staggered move to "level 2" restrictions would mean retail, restaurants and other public spaces including playgrounds could reopen from Thursday.
Schools can open from next Monday while bars can only reopen from May 21, Ardern said. Gatherings will be limited to 10 people.
"The upshot is that in 10 days’ time we will have reopened most businesses in New Zealand, and sooner than many other countries around the world," Ardern told a news conference.
"But that fits with our plan – go hard, go early – so we can get our economy moving again sooner, and so we get the economic benefit of getting our health response right."
Businesses will be required to have physical distancing and strict hygiene measures in place.
Air New Zealand announced it would resume seven more domestic routes when the country enters alert level 2.
International travel, however, would not be possible as borders will remain closed except for returning New Zealanders.
Rugby league to resume in June
Also on Monday, New Zealand's rugby board announced that the country's top league would resume from June 13 with its five Super Rugby teams playing each other over 10 weeks.
New Zealand is the first major rugby nation to announce a restart to competition since the Covid-19 pandemic brought sport to a standstill around the world.
Prime Minister Ardern cautioned that the lockdown easing measures would be reviewed again in two weeks.
The government plans to introduce a new law that would allow authorities to enforce physical distancing and control gatherings of people after questions were raised about the legality of lockdown rules.
Three new cases of Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, were confirmed on Monday, the health ministry said in a statement.
The cases – two hospital nurses and one related to overseas travel – bring New Zealand’s total confirmed Covid-19 infections to 1,147, the ministry said, adding that 93 percent of all confirmed and probable cases have recovered.
The government will unveil its annual budget on Thursday, and has warned the country would run fiscal deficits for years while debt will increase to levels well beyond previous targets due to its economic support measures.
Ardern has been under pressure to ease the lockdown measures with the main opposition National Party saying they were kept on for too long, crippling several small businesses and hurting the economy.
People who could not make it to weddings, funerals or even visit loved ones had also called on the government to ease curbs sooner.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-11--Georgia requests US justice department probe into killing of black jogger

Demonstrators at the Glynn County Courthouse in Brunswick , Georgia , on May 8 , 2020 , protest the killing in February of Ahmaud Arbery , an unarmed young black man shot after being chased by a white former police officer and his son .
The Georgia state attorney general on Sunday asked the US Department of Justice to investigate the handling of an unarmed black jogger 's killing , which sparked outrage across the country .
Ahmaud Arbery , 25 , was killed on February 23 as he ran on a sunny day in a residential neighbourhood in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were arrested for his shooting just last week .
`` I have formally requested US DOJ ( @ SDGAnews ) to conduct an investigation into the handling of the case , '' Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr tweeted , linking to an official statement .
In the statement , Carr said his office is `` committed to a complete and transparent review of how the Ahmaud Arbery case was handled from the outset . ''
`` The family , the community and the state of Georgia deserve answers , '' Carr said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the request `` includes , but is not limited to , investigation of the communications and discussions by and between '' the district attorneys ' offices for the Brunswick judicial circuit and the Waycross judicial circuit – both were involved in the original case .
Arbery 's case gained national notoriety last week with the release of a 28-second cell phone video that captured the shooting .
In the footage , Arbery is seen running down a residential street and approaching a white pickup truck stopped in the right lane with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arbery is seen trying to get around the vehicle , he is confronted by a second man holding a shotgun .
An altercation between the two ensues and the firing of three shots can be heard .
The two white men were identified by police as Travis McMichael , 34 , and his father Gregory McMichael , 64 , who both live in Brunswick .
They were arrested on Thursday and charged with murder and aggravated assault .
According to the February police report , Gregory McMichael told officers he thought Arbery was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ burglaries and that he had seen the young black man `` hauling ass '' down the street .
McMichael said he went inside and got his .357 Magnum while his son grabbed a shotgun .
When they finally caught up with Arbery and Travis McMichael got out of the truck with the shotgun , Arbery began to `` violently attack '' him , the father said , according to the police report .
The father said he saw his son shoot Arbery and Arbery fall to the ground .
The footage of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and prompted a number of celebrities to call for action , including basketball star LeBron James and actress Zoe Kravitz .
Some people drew parallels between this case and the shooting death of another unarmed young black man , Trayvon Martin , by a neighbourhood guard in Florida in 2012 .
On Friday , GBI director Vic Reynolds told a news conference that `` there is more than sufficient probable cause '' to charge the McMichaels with murder but did not explain why it took 74 days for the suspects to be detained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ongoing and there could be more arrests .

The Georgia state attorney general on Sunday asked the US Department of Justice to investigate the handling of an unarmed black jogger's killing, which sparked outrage across the country.
Demonstrators at the Glynn County Courthouse in Brunswick, Georgia, on May 8, 2020, protest the killing in February of Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed young black man shot after being chased by a white former police officer and his son.
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Ahmaud Arbery, 25, was killed on February 23 as he ran on a sunny day in a residential neighbourhood in the town of Brunswick. Two white men were arrested for his shooting just last week.
"I have formally requested US DOJ (@SDGAnews) to conduct an investigation into the handling of the case," Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr tweeted, linking to an official statement.
In the statement, Carr said his office is "committed to a complete and transparent review of how the Ahmaud Arbery case was handled from the outset."
"The family, the community and the state of Georgia deserve answers," Carr said in the statement.
According to the statement, the request "includes, but is not limited to, investigation of the communications and discussions by and between" the district attorneys' offices for the Brunswick judicial circuit and the Waycross judicial circuit – both were involved in the original case.
I will be looking into how the #AhmaudArbery case was handled from the outset.
The family, the community and the state of Georgia deserve answers. We need to know exactly what happened, and we will be working to find those answers. — GA AG Chris Carr (@Georgia_AG) May 9, 2020
Arbery's case gained national notoriety last week with the release of a 28-second cell phone video that captured the shooting.
In the footage, Arbery is seen running down a residential street and approaching a white pickup truck stopped in the right lane with a man standing in the back.
As Arbery is seen trying to get around the vehicle, he is confronted by a second man holding a shotgun. An altercation between the two ensues and the firing of three shots can be heard.
The two white men were identified by police as Travis McMichael, 34, and his father Gregory McMichael, 64, who both live in Brunswick. They were arrested on Thursday and charged with murder and aggravated assault.
According to the February police report, Gregory McMichael told officers he thought Arbery was a suspect in a series of area burglaries and that he had seen the young black man "hauling ass" down the street.
McMichael said he went inside and got his .357 Magnum while his son grabbed a shotgun. When they finally caught up with Arbery and Travis McMichael got out of the truck with the shotgun, Arbery began to "violently attack" him, the father said, according to the police report.
The father said he saw his son shoot Arbery and Arbery fall to the ground.
The footage of the shooting sent shockwaves across the United States and prompted a number of celebrities to call for action, including basketball star LeBron James and actress Zoe Kravitz.
Some people drew parallels between this case and the shooting death of another unarmed young black man, Trayvon Martin, by a neighbourhood guard in Florida in 2012.
On Friday, GBI director Vic Reynolds told a news conference that "there is more than sufficient probable cause" to charge the McMichaels with murder but did not explain why it took 74 days for the suspects to be detained.
He added that the investigation was ongoing and there could be more arrests.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-05-11--Covid-19 drives Avianca, Latin America's second-largest airline, to bankruptcy

An aerial view shows Colombian airline Avianca 's planes parked at El Dorado International Airport in Bogota , Colombia , on April 7 , 2020 , amid the coronavirus disease ( Covid-19 ) outbreak .
Avianca Holdings , Latin America 's second-largest airline , filed for bankruptcy on Sunday , after failing to meet a bond payment deadline , while its pleas for coronavirus aid from Colombia 's government have so far been unsuccessful .
If it fails to come out of bankruptcy , Bogota-based Avianca would be one of the first major carriers worldwide to go under as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crippled world travel .
Avianca has not flown a regularly scheduled passenger flight since late March and most of its 20,000 employees have gone without pay through the crisis .
`` Avianca is facing the most challenging crisis in our 100-year history , '' Avianca Chief Executive Anko van der Werff said in a news release .
While Avianca was already weak before the coronavirus outbreak , its bankruptcy filing highlights the challenges for airlines that can not count on state rescues or on such rescues coming fast enough .
Avianca is still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is n't a surprise at all , '' said Juan David Ballen , chief economist at Casa de Bolsa brokerage in Bogota .
`` The company was heavily indebted despite the fact it tried to restructure its debt last year . ''
Avianca , the second-oldest continually operating airline in the world after KLM , had $ 7.3 billion in debts in 2019 .
The airline filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in New York and said it would continue operations while it restructured its debts .
The Colombian Association of Civil Aviators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many Avianca employees , said it supported the move .
Avianca already went through bankruptcy in the early 2000s , from which it was rescued by a Bolivian-born oil businessman , German Efromovich .
Efromovich grew Avianca aggressively but also saddled the carrier with significant debt until he was ousted from the airline last year in a boardroom coup led by United Airlines Holdings Inc .
He still owns a majority stake in the carrier .
United stands to lose up to $ 700 million in loans related to Avianca .
Efromovich told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the decision to file for bankruptcy and that he was not involved in making it .
The management that took over after Efromovich 's ousting was already focused on a cost-cutting reorganization dubbed `` Avianca 2021 '' before this year 's crisis .
Warnings about its fragile finances abounded .
Roberto Kriete , president of Avianca 's board , said last year in a meeting with employees that the airline was `` broke . ''
Last month , Avianca 's accounting firm , KPMG , said it had `` substantial doubts '' about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year from now .
Avianca 's shares closed at 88 cents on Friday in New York , from a high of more than $ 18 in 2014 .
Most pressingly , Avianca was facing a $ 65 million bond payment due on Sunday that analysts did not think the airline was in a position to meet .
S & P downgraded the airline to CCC- status in the days leading up to that payment .
Airline executives confirmed in a press call on Sunday night that they had not made the payment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ relations campaign in recent weeks to secure emergency aid from Colombia 's government , but none had materialized as of Sunday .
Avianca has no certain date to resume operations , as its main hubs - Colombia , El Salvador and Peru - have all shut down air traffic to fight the coronavirus .
The carrier faced backlash after it sold plane tickets for late May only to have to cancel them when Colombia extended its coronavirus lockdown .
Avianca will also shut down its operations in Peru , which represents 5 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will lay off hundreds of employees within the next 10 days .
`` In this time , we do not have liquidity to sustain a loss-making operation , '' Silvia Mosquera , Avianca 's chief commercial officer , told reporters regarding Avianca Peru .
Colombia 's Avianca is the third of Efromovich 's airlines to go through bankruptcy or out of business in recent years .
Airlines Avianca Brasil and Avianca Argentina ceased to exist last year because of economic troubles in their markets .

Avianca Holdings, Latin America's second-largest airline, filed for bankruptcy on Sunday, after failing to meet a bond payment deadline, while its pleas for coronavirus aid from Colombia's government have so far been unsuccessful.
An aerial view shows Colombian airline Avianca's planes parked at El Dorado International Airport in Bogota, Colombia, on April 7, 2020, amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak.
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If it fails to come out of bankruptcy, Bogota-based Avianca would be one of the first major carriers worldwide to go under as a result of the pandemic, which has crippled world travel.
Avianca has not flown a regularly scheduled passenger flight since late March and most of its 20,000 employees have gone without pay through the crisis.
"Avianca is facing the most challenging crisis in our 100-year history," Avianca Chief Executive Anko van der Werff said in a news release.
While Avianca was already weak before the coronavirus outbreak, its bankruptcy filing highlights the challenges for airlines that cannot count on state rescues or on such rescues coming fast enough. Avianca is still hoping for a government bailout.
"This isn't a surprise at all," said Juan David Ballen, chief economist at Casa de Bolsa brokerage in Bogota. "The company was heavily indebted despite the fact it tried to restructure its debt last year."
Avianca, the second-oldest continually operating airline in the world after KLM, had $7.3 billion in debts in 2019. The airline filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in New York and said it would continue operations while it restructured its debts.
The Colombian Association of Civil Aviators (ACDAC), a union representing many Avianca employees, said it supported the move.
Avianca already went through bankruptcy in the early 2000s, from which it was rescued by a Bolivian-born oil businessman, German Efromovich.
Efromovich grew Avianca aggressively but also saddled the carrier with significant debt until he was ousted from the airline last year in a boardroom coup led by United Airlines Holdings Inc. He still owns a majority stake in the carrier.
United stands to lose up to $700 million in loans related to Avianca.
Efromovich told Reuters on Sunday that he disagreed with the decision to file for bankruptcy and that he was not involved in making it.
Lead-up to bankruptcy
The management that took over after Efromovich's ousting was already focused on a cost-cutting reorganization dubbed "Avianca 2021" before this year's crisis.
Warnings about its fragile finances abounded. Roberto Kriete, president of Avianca's board, said last year in a meeting with employees that the airline was "broke."
Last month, Avianca's accounting firm, KPMG, said it had "substantial doubts" about the carrier's ability to exist a year from now.
Avianca's shares closed at 88 cents on Friday in New York, from a high of more than $18 in 2014.
Most pressingly, Avianca was facing a $65 million bond payment due on Sunday that analysts did not think the airline was in a position to meet. S&P downgraded the airline to CCC- status in the days leading up to that payment.
Airline executives confirmed in a press call on Sunday night that they had not made the payment.
Van der Werff had mounted a public relations campaign in recent weeks to secure emergency aid from Colombia's government, but none had materialized as of Sunday.
Avianca has no certain date to resume operations, as its main hubs - Colombia, El Salvador and Peru - have all shut down air traffic to fight the coronavirus. The carrier faced backlash after it sold plane tickets for late May only to have to cancel them when Colombia extended its coronavirus lockdown.
Avianca will also shut down its operations in Peru, which represents 5% of the airline's revenue, and will lay off hundreds of employees within the next 10 days.
"In this time, we do not have liquidity to sustain a loss-making operation," Silvia Mosquera, Avianca's chief commercial officer, told reporters regarding Avianca Peru.
Colombia's Avianca is the third of Efromovich's airlines to go through bankruptcy or out of business in recent years. Airlines Avianca Brasil and Avianca Argentina ceased to exist last year because of economic troubles in their markets.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-11--Increase in number of new Covid-19 infections in Germany raises alarm

A medical worker refills a disinfectant dispenser as employees wait to get tested for Covid-19 at a provisional testing center at a `` Westfleisch '' meat factory in Hamm , Germany , on May 10 , 2020 .
Germany 's coronavirus spread appears to be picking up speed again , official data showed Sunday , just days after Chancellor Angela Merkel said the country could gradually return to normal .
The Robert Koch Institute for public health said Germany 's closely watched reproduction rate ( R0 ) had climbed to 1.1 , meaning 10 people with COVID-19 infect on average @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that for the infection rate to be deemed under control and slowing down , the R0 has to stay below one .
As recently as Wednesday , Germany 's number stood at 0.65 .
But since then the country has reported clusters of new cases at slaughterhouses and at care homes for the elderly .
The RKI cautioned it was too soon to draw conclusions but said the number of new infections `` would need to be watched very closely in the coming days '' .
The latest data raised alarm after Merkel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left the `` first phase '' of the pandemic behind it and federal states announced relaxations of social restrictions .
Most shops and playgrounds have reopened , children are gradually returning to classrooms and states are to varying degrees reopening restaurants , gyms and places of worship .
German local authorities have however agreed to pull an `` emergency brake '' and reimpose social curbs if the infection rate rises above 50 cases per 100,000 residents over a week .
That has already happened in at least three districts in recent days , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's most populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia , there has been a spike in cases at a slaughterhouse in the district of Coesfeld , where around 200 of the 1,200 employees have tested positive for the virus .
Many of them are foreign workers from eastern Europe who lived in shared housing .
The regional government has ordered workers at all of the state 's slaughterhouses to undergo testing .
It has also delayed the loosening of some confinement measures in the district .
An outbreak of COVID-19 at a slaughterhouse in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the district of Steinburg over the infection threshold .
In the eastern state of Thuringia , Greiz district has reported a jump in infections among residents and employees of several care homes and a geriatrics hospital .
There were also fresh fears for the planned restart of the Bundesliga football season on May 16 after second-tier Dynamo Dresden 's players were ordered to go into quarantine over two coronavirus cases .
Worst `` not behind us '' As Merkel looks to steer the country cautiously into a new phase allowing more economic activity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any precipitous action may spark a second wave of infections .
`` We are in a critical phase .
It is to be feared that after the first deconfinement measures certain people become imprudent , '' warned Katrin Goering-Eckardt , a senior figure in the Greens , in an interview with financial daily Handelsblatt .
`` Deconfinement has given the signal that the worst is behind us -- but that is not the case , '' added Karl Lauterbach of Merkel 's coalition partners the Social Democrats .
Despite such concerns , some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fast enough in easing the confinement measures .
Thousand of people took to streets in cities nationwide at the weekend to protest against the remaining restrictions , such as wearing a mask on public transport and limiting social contacts .
Tensions rose at a rally in Berlin on Saturday , where hundreds of protesters chanted `` Freedom , Freedom '' and some threw bottles at police .
Several dozen people were taken into custody .
In Munich , where some 3,000 protesters gathered on Saturday , police criticised participants for not sticking to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which have grown larger in recent weeks , have mostly attracted a mix of far-right and far-left sympathisers .
But they are increasingly becoming more mainstream .
A well-known politician from the liberal Free Democrats party ( FDP ) , Thomas Kemmerich , came under fire for joining a protest in Thuringia state that was also attended by members of the far-right AfD party .

Germany's coronavirus spread appears to be picking up speed again, official data showed Sunday, just days after Chancellor Angela Merkel said the country could gradually return to normal.
A medical worker refills a disinfectant dispenser as employees wait to get tested for Covid-19 at a provisional testing center at a "Westfleisch" meat factory in Hamm, Germany, on May 10, 2020.
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The Robert Koch Institute for public health said Germany's closely watched reproduction rate (R0) had climbed to 1.1, meaning 10 people with COVID-19 infect on average 11 others.
The RKI has warned that for the infection rate to be deemed under control and slowing down, the R0 has to stay below one.
As recently as Wednesday, Germany's number stood at 0.65.
But since then the country has reported clusters of new cases at slaughterhouses and at care homes for the elderly.
The RKI cautioned it was too soon to draw conclusions but said the number of new infections "would need to be watched very closely in the coming days".
The latest data raised alarm after Merkel only on Wednesday declared that Germany had left the "first phase" of the pandemic behind it and federal states announced relaxations of social restrictions.
Most shops and playgrounds have reopened, children are gradually returning to classrooms and states are to varying degrees reopening restaurants, gyms and places of worship.
German local authorities have however agreed to pull an "emergency brake" and reimpose social curbs if the infection rate rises above 50 cases per 100,000 residents over a week.
That has already happened in at least three districts in recent days, according to the RKI.
Football, slaughterhouses
In Germany's most populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia, there has been a spike in cases at a slaughterhouse in the district of Coesfeld, where around 200 of the 1,200 employees have tested positive for the virus.
Many of them are foreign workers from eastern Europe who lived in shared housing.
The regional government has ordered workers at all of the state's slaughterhouses to undergo testing. It has also delayed the loosening of some confinement measures in the district.
An outbreak of COVID-19 at a slaughterhouse in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein has likewise pushed the district of Steinburg over the infection threshold.
In the eastern state of Thuringia, Greiz district has reported a jump in infections among residents and employees of several care homes and a geriatrics hospital.
There were also fresh fears for the planned restart of the Bundesliga football season on May 16 after second-tier Dynamo Dresden's players were ordered to go into quarantine over two coronavirus cases.
Worst "not behind us"
As Merkel looks to steer the country cautiously into a new phase allowing more economic activity, some politicians have expressed fears that any precipitous action may spark a second wave of infections.
"We are in a critical phase. It is to be feared that after the first deconfinement measures certain people become imprudent," warned Katrin Goering-Eckardt, a senior figure in the Greens, in an interview with financial daily Handelsblatt.
"Deconfinement has given the signal that the worst is behind us -- but that is not the case," added Karl Lauterbach of Merkel's coalition partners the Social Democrats.
Protests
Despite such concerns, some Germans believe the country is not moving fast enough in easing the confinement measures.
Thousand of people took to streets in cities nationwide at the weekend to protest against the remaining restrictions, such as wearing a mask on public transport and limiting social contacts.
Tensions rose at a rally in Berlin on Saturday, where hundreds of protesters chanted "Freedom, Freedom" and some threw bottles at police. Several dozen people were taken into custody.
In Munich, where some 3,000 protesters gathered on Saturday, police criticised participants for not sticking to social distancing rules.
The demos, which have grown larger in recent weeks, have mostly attracted a mix of far-right and far-left sympathisers.
But they are increasingly becoming more mainstream.
A well-known politician from the liberal Free Democrats party (FDP), Thomas Kemmerich, came under fire for joining a protest in Thuringia state that was also attended by members of the far-right AfD party.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-05-11--Ghana's president says one person infected 533 with Covid-19 at fish factory

Women chat at the Nima market in Accra , Ghana , on April 20 , 2020 , as the country began lifting partial lockdown aimed at stopping the spread of Covid-19 .
A worker at a fish-processing factory in Ghana 's Atlantic seafront city of Tema infected 533 other workers at the facility with the coronavirus , Ghana 's President Nana Akufo-Addo said in a broadcast late on Sunday .
Ghana 's health authorities reported the outbreak at the industrial facility late on Friday , but did not provide details .
`` All 533 persons were infected by one person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not provide details of how the disease spread in the facility or if safety measures had been in place .
He said that the 533 positive cases , which represents around 11.3 % of Ghana 's total infections , were part of a backlog of about 921 cases going back as far as April 26 that are only recently being reported .
The new cases pushed Ghana 's total since the pandemic was first reported in the West African nation in mid-March to 4,700 as of Sunday night , the highest number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president said 22 people have died of coronavirus-related causes , while 494 have recovered .
With 160,501 tests since the outbreak , Akufo-Addo said Ghana had carried out more tests per million people than any other country in Africa .
`` The implementation of our strategy of aggressively tracing , testing and treating is our surest way of rooting out the virus , '' Akufo-Addo said .
He announced an extension of a ban on public gatherings until the end of May , and schools and universities will remain closed .
Akufo-Addo eased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ main cities , Accra and Kumasi , on April 19 amid concerns over a prolonged lockdown on the economy .

A worker at a fish-processing factory in Ghana's Atlantic seafront city of Tema infected 533 other workers at the facility with the coronavirus, Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo said in a broadcast late on Sunday.
Women chat at the Nima market in Accra, Ghana, on April 20, 2020, as the country began lifting partial lockdown aimed at stopping the spread of Covid-19.
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Ghana's health authorities reported the outbreak at the industrial facility late on Friday, but did not provide details.
"All 533 persons were infected by one person," President Akufo-Addo said. He did not provide details of how the disease spread in the facility or if safety measures had been in place.
He said that the 533 positive cases, which represents around 11.3% of Ghana's total infections, were part of a backlog of about 921 cases going back as far as April 26 that are only recently being reported.
The new cases pushed Ghana's total since the pandemic was first reported in the West African nation in mid-March to 4,700 as of Sunday night, the highest number of infections in West Africa.
The president said 22 people have died of coronavirus-related causes, while 494 have recovered.
With 160,501 tests since the outbreak, Akufo-Addo said Ghana had carried out more tests per million people than any other country in Africa.
"The implementation of our strategy of aggressively tracing, testing and treating is our surest way of rooting out the virus," Akufo-Addo said.
He announced an extension of a ban on public gatherings until the end of May, and schools and universities will remain closed.
Akufo-Addo eased a three-week lockdown on Ghana's two main cities, Accra and Kumasi, on April 19 amid concerns over a prolonged lockdown on the economy.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-05-10--Commemorating the abolition of slavery in France: ‘This is our history’