france24--2020-07-24--French cinemas look to stay afloat amid Covid-19 drought of Hollywood blockbusters

People attend the screening of the French movie `` Le Grand Bain '' in La Villette basin on the first day of the Paris Plages event on July 18 , 2020 , in Paris , France .
French cinemas reopened on June 22 with a certain pomp after a three-month coronavirus hiatus .
At least one Paris movie house , Les 5 Caumartin , had eager moviegoers lined up for that much-anticipated reawakening with a screening a minute after midnight .
But a month later , cinemas in the birthplace of the medium are feeling the effects as a global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ box office saw more than a million people head to the cinema last week , for the first time since theatres reopened their doors .
But the 1,169 million spectators , according to figures tabulated by CBO Box-office , still represent a 78 percent drop compared to the same period last year .
`` During a so-called normal month of July , weekly attendance would be at two , three , even four million and here , right now , it 's a struggle to surpass the symbolic million , '' FRANCE 24 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` It 's the American 'locomotives ' that are missing and so , of course , the fate of world cinema , of the whole industry , is linked to the fate of the United States , a country severely affected by coronavirus .
You could say that this Americano-dependence is pretty worrisome and shows an international industry short on oxygen . ''
For cinema operators , it ’ s a whole new world and a way of doing business rife with uncertainty .
`` I do n't look at the numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last too long , '' Aurélie Delage , who runs the Cinémascop Mégarama in Garat , a city of 2,000 in southwestern France , told AFP .
Last summer , families flocked to see `` The Lion King '' .
But those figures look like a distant dream in the summer of 2020 .
`` People were inside during the lockdown .
They want to be out in the fresh air , at a bar or a restaurant , especially as long as the weather is nice , '' said Delage .
With @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down again , but wo n't do it .
`` It would be catastrophic .
Audiences need a frame of reference , '' she said .
With 90 percent of cinemas open in France despite the low receipts , the head of the National Federation of French Cinema ( FNCF ) suggested the cinema operators staying open were doing so as a public service .
`` Right now , they are losing an enormous amount of money , '' FNCF chief Richard Patry told France Info .
Theatres have new French films to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which generally represent 70 percent of the French summer box office , Patry said .
`` We are very , very pessimistic .
Even a little depressed , '' he conceded .
`` Nevertheless , we must look on the bright side now and again to try to reassure ourselves .
Four-and-a-half million spectators have come during the first month after reopening . ''
To a point , the slump was foreseeable .
The big-budget summer blockbusters that French movie theatres count on to thrive through the sunny months are the same ones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the global marketplace .
`` Donald Trump is ruining the summer for French cinemas '' , Slate France headlined just a week after French cinemas reopened , blaming crisis management overseas for the missing movies on French marquees .
Polls during the lockdown showed that French moviegoers were eager to return to the so-called salles obscurs , the darkened halls of cinema and their plush red velvet seats .
`` But there is a slight discrepancy between fancying going to the cinema and wanting to see a film , '' writer Jean-Michel Frodon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have called on US studios to forgo the usual practice of simultaneous US and worldwide releases .
Cinemas on the continent , they note , are open for business after all and hungry for films .
But their appeal has gone unheard so far .
For those pining for a US blockbuster at long last , it has been a bleak week .
Christopher Nolan 's hotly anticipated `` Tenet '' , previously postponed twice from July to August 12 , was delayed indefinitely .
Late on Thursday , Disney announced a flurry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and already postponed twice , the studio 's much-awaited `` Mulan '' was also delayed indefinitely .
`` It 's become clear that nothing can be set in stone when it comes to how we release films during this global health crisis , '' a Disney representative explained upon announcing the new delay .
After all , cinemas have yet to reopen in New York despite the state ’ s progress in handling the pandemic and they remain closed in California , which this week became the state with the highest coronavirus case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began .
China , the world 's second largest movie market , only began re-opening cinemas this week , with restrictions , after six-month nationwide closures .
All of which means studios are loath to part with a $ 200-million blockbuster like `` Tenet '' .
While it is far from business as usual for cinemas in France , some festivals are now powering ahead .
After the disappointment of the Cannes Film Festival 's cancellation in May , another event further along on the Côte d'Azur is billing itself as the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a showcase for documentaries , the Marseille International Film Festival ( FID ) opened Wednesday in France 's second-largest city .
The four-day festival ( shortened from the usual six ) will feature some 46 world premieres .
Introducing the 2020 programme , organisers said they were `` convinced that a film is a living organism , as fragile as it is powerful '' .
`` Vive le cinéma vivant , '' they declared – or long live living cinema .
Meanwhile in the French capital , the Paris Plages urban beach festival @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 2018 French comedy `` Le Grand Bain '' ( `` Sink or Swim '' ) on the Bassin de la Villette , in northeastern Paris .
Spectators manned a flotilla of 38 electric boats deployed across the basin in front of a giant screen , while others watched from lounge chairs on the quayside .
Nearby , the annual open-air film festival kicked off Wednesday in the park at La Villette , with an agenda that includes classic crowd-pleasers such as “ Thelma and Louise ” and “ The Lord of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ festival lasts until August 23 .
On Tuesday , the Deauville International Film Festival released the selection for its 46th annual edition .
Its 14-film competition , featuring no fewer than eight women directors , is slated to go ahead on the Normandy seaside from September 4 through 13 .
Further afield , in Italy , the 77th edition of the Venice International Film Festival is scheduled for September 2 to 12 .
The first major global film festival since the pandemic began , la Mostra will honour British actress Tilda Swinton and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ achievement awards .
Screenings are due to take place inside traditional venues as well as outdoors .
Organisers are set to announce its selection of some 50 films next Tuesday .
Perhaps the promise of a little silver-screen glitter on the horizon will entice an extra cinephile or two into those red velvet seats .

French cinemas reopened on June 22 with a certain pomp after a three-month coronavirus hiatus. At least one Paris movie house, Les 5 Caumartin, had eager moviegoers lined up for that much-anticipated reawakening with a screening a minute after midnight. But a month later, cinemas in the birthplace of the medium are feeling the effects as a global industry remains in slumber.
People attend the screening of the French movie "Le Grand Bain" in La Villette basin on the first day of the Paris Plages event on July 18, 2020, in Paris, France.
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The French box office saw more than a million people head to the cinema last week, for the first time since theatres reopened their doors. But the 1,169 million spectators, according to figures tabulated by CBO Box-office, still represent a 78 percent drop compared to the same period last year.
"During a so-called normal month of July, weekly attendance would be at two, three, even four million and here, right now, it's a struggle to surpass the symbolic million," FRANCE 24's French-language movie critic Thomas Baurez explained. "It's the American 'locomotives' that are missing and so, of course, the fate of world cinema, of the whole industry, is linked to the fate of the United States, a country severely affected by coronavirus. You could say that this Americano-dependence is pretty worrisome and shows an international industry short on oxygen."
For cinema operators, it’s a whole new world and a way of doing business rife with uncertainty. "I don't look at the numbers anymore [but] it mustn't last too long," Aurélie Delage, who runs the Cinémascop Mégarama in Garat, a city of 2,000 in southwestern France, told AFP. Last summer, families flocked to see "The Lion King". But those figures look like a distant dream in the summer of 2020.
"People were inside during the lockdown. They want to be out in the fresh air, at a bar or a restaurant, especially as long as the weather is nice," said Delage. With attendance low, she thought about shutting down again, but won't do it. "It would be catastrophic. Audiences need a frame of reference," she said.
With 90 percent of cinemas open in France despite the low receipts, the head of the National Federation of French Cinema (FNCF) suggested the cinema operators staying open were doing so as a public service. "Right now, they are losing an enormous amount of money," FNCF chief Richard Patry told France Info. Theatres have new French films to show, but no American movies, which generally represent 70 percent of the French summer box office, Patry said. "We are very, very pessimistic. Even a little depressed," he conceded. "Nevertheless, we must look on the bright side now and again to try to reassure ourselves. Four-and-a-half million spectators have come during the first month after reopening."
To a point, the slump was foreseeable. The big-budget summer blockbusters that French movie theatres count on to thrive through the sunny months are the same ones cinemas across the world depend on in the global marketplace. "Donald Trump is ruining the summer for French cinemas", Slate France headlined just a week after French cinemas reopened, blaming crisis management overseas for the missing movies on French marquees. Polls during the lockdown showed that French moviegoers were eager to return to the so-called salles obscurs, the darkened halls of cinema and their plush red velvet seats. "But there is a slight discrepancy between fancying going to the cinema and wanting to see a film," writer Jean-Michel Frodon explained back then.
Christopher Nolan's #Tenet will no longer release August 12, and has been delayed indefinitely. pic.twitter.com/6t3NGYZZx8 — Rotten Tomatoes (@RottenTomatoes) July 20, 2020
European theatre operators have called on US studios to forgo the usual practice of simultaneous US and worldwide releases. Cinemas on the continent, they note, are open for business after all and hungry for films. But their appeal has gone unheard so far. For those pining for a US blockbuster at long last, it has been a bleak week. Christopher Nolan's hotly anticipated "Tenet", previously postponed twice from July to August 12, was delayed indefinitely. Late on Thursday, Disney announced a flurry of delays. Initially slated for March and already postponed twice, the studio's much-awaited "Mulan" was also delayed indefinitely. "It's become clear that nothing can be set in stone when it comes to how we release films during this global health crisis," a Disney representative explained upon announcing the new delay.
A bunch of films have moved release dates this week, and more shifts are inevitable. As we await word on new dates for #Tenet, #Mulan, #TheFrenchDispatch and more, here is a snapshot of major theatrical releases for 2020, 2021 & 2022, as of 7/24/20 pic.twitter.com/jryRvWl66X — Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) July 24, 2020
After all, cinemas have yet to reopen in New York despite the state’s progress in handling the pandemic and they remain closed in California, which this week became the state with the highest coronavirus case tally, recording 415,000 since the crisis began. China, the world's second largest movie market, only began re-opening cinemas this week, with restrictions, after six-month nationwide closures. All of which means studios are loath to part with a $200-million blockbuster like "Tenet".
French festivals revving up
While it is far from business as usual for cinemas in France, some festivals are now powering ahead. After the disappointment of the Cannes Film Festival's cancellation in May, another event further along on the Côte d'Azur is billing itself as the first in-person, post-Covid film fest. Largely a showcase for documentaries, the Marseille International Film Festival (FID) opened Wednesday in France's second-largest city. The four-day festival (shortened from the usual six) will feature some 46 world premieres. Introducing the 2020 programme, organisers said they were "convinced that a film is a living organism, as fragile as it is powerful". "Vive le cinéma vivant," they declared – or long live living cinema.
Meanwhile in the French capital, the Paris Plages urban beach festival kicked off with a picturesque floating screening of 2018 French comedy "Le Grand Bain" ("Sink or Swim") on the Bassin de la Villette, in northeastern Paris. Spectators manned a flotilla of 38 electric boats deployed across the basin in front of a giant screen, while others watched from lounge chairs on the quayside. Nearby, the annual open-air film festival kicked off Wednesday in the park at La Villette, with an agenda that includes classic crowd-pleasers such as “Thelma and Louise” and “The Lord of the Rings” on the agenda. That festival lasts until August 23.
On Tuesday, the Deauville International Film Festival released the selection for its 46th annual edition. Its 14-film competition, featuring no fewer than eight women directors, is slated to go ahead on the Normandy seaside from September 4 through 13.
Further afield, in Italy, the 77th edition of the Venice International Film Festival is scheduled for September 2 to 12. The first major global film festival since the pandemic began, la Mostra will honour British actress Tilda Swinton and Hong Kong filmmaker Ann Hui with lifetime achievement awards. Screenings are due to take place inside traditional venues as well as outdoors. Organisers are set to announce its selection of some 50 films next Tuesday.
Perhaps the promise of a little silver-screen glitter on the horizon will entice an extra cinephile or two into those red velvet seats.
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france24--2020-07-24--WHO reports record single-day increase in global coronavirus cases

A woman is tested for the coronavirus in Kolkata , India , on July 23 , 2020 .
India is the third country in the world to record more than 1 million cases .
The World Health Organization reported a record increase in global coronavirus cases on Friday , up by 284,196 in 24 hours , with the United States and Brazil accounting for almost half the total .
Deaths from Covid-19 rose by 9,753 , the biggest one-day increase since a record high of 9,797 deaths on April 30 .
The previous WHO record for new cases was 259,848 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 69,641 new cases in the United States , 67,860 in Brazil , 49,310 in India and 13,104 in South Africa .
The largest increases in new deaths were 3,876 in Peru , 1,284 in Brazil , 1,074 in the United States , 790 in Mexico and 740 in India .
Peru recently reviewed its Covid-19 data and in one day increased its total death toll by 3,000 to a total of over 17,000 fatalities .
India on July 17 became the third country in the world to record more than 1 million cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States and Brazil .
Epidemiologists say India is still likely months from hitting its peak .
Cases in Brazil crossed the 2 million mark on July 16 , doubling in less than a month as the country adds nearly 40,000 new cases a day .
A patchwork of state and city responses has held up poorly in Brazil , in the absence of a tightly coordinated policy from the federal government .
The United States , which leads the world with over 4 million cases , has also tried to curb @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level , with only limited success .
The WHO has expressed concern over the resurgence of coronavirus cases on the European continent , saying countries should impose tighter restrictions if necessary .
The number of infections in Europe crossed three million on Thursday , a fifth of the world 's cases .
It remains the hardest hit continent in terms of deaths .
In France , Prime Minister Jean Castex announced on-the-spot tests for travellers visiting from 16 high-risk countries including the United States .
The tests will be for French citizens and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet resumed general travel to and from these countries .
The new measures come amid signs that the rate of infection is accelerating again in France more than two months into the country 's gradual exit from lockdown .
On Friday , the health ministry said the number of confirmed cases had risen by 1,130 over 24 hours .
It was the second consecutive day that new cases exceeded 1,000 .
The ministry , in a statement , said the figures showed the need for people not to lower their guard while the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have cancelled out much of the progress accomplished during the first weeks of exit from lockdown , '' the ministry said , citing reports that some people who test positive for the virus fail to self-isolate .

The World Health Organization reported a record increase in global coronavirus cases on Friday, up by 284,196 in 24 hours, with the United States and Brazil accounting for almost half the total.
A woman is tested for the coronavirus in Kolkata, India, on July 23, 2020. India is the third country in the world to record more than 1 million cases.
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Deaths from Covid-19 rose by 9,753, the biggest one-day increase since a record high of 9,797 deaths on April 30.
The previous WHO record for new cases was 259,848 on July 18.
The WHO reported 69,641 new cases in the United States, 67,860 in Brazil, 49,310 in India and 13,104 in South Africa. The largest increases in new deaths were 3,876 in Peru, 1,284 in Brazil, 1,074 in the United States, 790 in Mexico and 740 in India.
Peru recently reviewed its Covid-19 data and in one day increased its total death toll by 3,000 to a total of over 17,000 fatalities.
India on July 17 became the third country in the world to record more than 1 million cases of the new coronavirus, behind only the United States and Brazil. Epidemiologists say India is still likely months from hitting its peak.
Cases in Brazil crossed the 2 million mark on July 16, doubling in less than a month as the country adds nearly 40,000 new cases a day. A patchwork of state and city responses has held up poorly in Brazil, in the absence of a tightly coordinated policy from the federal government.
The United States, which leads the world with over 4 million cases, has also tried to curb the outbreak at the state and local level, with only limited success.
France steps up border controls
The WHO has expressed concern over the resurgence of coronavirus cases on the European continent, saying countries should impose tighter restrictions if necessary.
The number of infections in Europe crossed three million on Thursday, a fifth of the world's cases. It remains the hardest hit continent in terms of deaths.
In France, Prime Minister Jean Castex announced on-the-spot tests for travellers visiting from 16 high-risk countries including the United States. The tests will be for French citizens and residents only, as France has not yet resumed general travel to and from these countries.
The new measures come amid signs that the rate of infection is accelerating again in France more than two months into the country's gradual exit from lockdown.
On Friday, the health ministry said the number of confirmed cases had risen by 1,130 over 24 hours. It was the second consecutive day that new cases exceeded 1,000.
The ministry, in a statement, said the figures showed the need for people not to lower their guard while the virus continues to circulate.
"We have cancelled out much of the progress accomplished during the first weeks of exit from lockdown," the ministry said, citing reports that some people who test positive for the virus fail to self-isolate.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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france24--2020-07-24--China's Houston consulate closure linked to Covid-19 research, says US official

Rubbish bags are removed from the Chinese consulate in Houston on July 24 , 2020 , after the US State Department ordered China to close the consulate .
The US ordered China to shut its consulate in Houston in response to Chinese attempts to steal American science and technology secrets , including research on a Covid-19 vaccine , a senior State Department official said Friday .
In a briefing for journalists , the official linked activity at China 's Houston consulate to Beijing 's pursuit of research into a vaccine for the novel coronavirus .
`` There comes a time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is enough , '' said the official , who insisted on anonymity .
The State Department official said espionage and other malign activity by China 's diplomatic missions was occurring all over the US – and that its Houston consulate was one of the worst offenders .
Beijing has `` egregiously abused its free and open access '' to US society by running operations to illegally collect American intellectual property , the official said .
`` Houston is a firm demonstration that we are serious , '' he added .
In direct retaliation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States to close its consulate in the city of Chengdu , as relations between the two world powers deteriorated further .
China had warned it would retaliate after it was unexpectedly given 72 hours – until Friday – to vacate its Houston consulate , and had urged Washington to reconsider .
`` The US move seriously breached international law , the basic norms of international relations , and the terms of the China-US Consular Convention .
It gravely harmed China-US relations , '' China 's foreign ministry said in a statement .
> @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' change on 'Frankenstein ' China Ties between the two counties have sharply deteriorated over issues ranging from the coronavirus pandemic to Beijing trade and business practices , its territorial claims in the South China Sea and its clampdown on Hong Kong .
Tuesday 's order to shut the Houston consulate marked a dramatic escalation after months of mud-slinging .
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed the consulate had been `` a hub of spying and intellectual property theft '' .
China has four other consulates in the United States – in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and New York – as well as an embassy in Washington .
US President Donald Trump told a news briefing on Wednesday it was `` always possible '' other Chinese missions could be closed too .

The US ordered China to shut its consulate in Houston in response to Chinese attempts to steal American science and technology secrets, including research on a Covid-19 vaccine, a senior State Department official said Friday.
Rubbish bags are removed from the Chinese consulate in Houston on July 24, 2020, after the US State Department ordered China to close the consulate.
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In a briefing for journalists, the official linked activity at China's Houston consulate to Beijing's pursuit of research into a vaccine for the novel coronavirus.
"There comes a time when you have to say, enough is enough," said the official, who insisted on anonymity.
The State Department official said espionage and other malign activity by China's diplomatic missions was occurring all over the US – and that its Houston consulate was one of the worst offenders.
Beijing has "egregiously abused its free and open access" to US society by running operations to illegally collect American intellectual property, the official said.
"Houston is a firm demonstration that we are serious," he added.
In direct retaliation, China on Friday ordered the United States to close its consulate in the city of Chengdu, as relations between the two world powers deteriorated further.
China had warned it would retaliate after it was unexpectedly given 72 hours – until Friday – to vacate its Houston consulate, and had urged Washington to reconsider.
"The US move seriously breached international law, the basic norms of international relations, and the terms of the China-US Consular Convention. It gravely harmed China-US relations," China's foreign ministry said in a statement.
>> Pompeo calls on nations to 'induce' change on 'Frankenstein' China
Ties between the two counties have sharply deteriorated over issues ranging from the coronavirus pandemic to Beijing trade and business practices, its territorial claims in the South China Sea and its clampdown on Hong Kong.
Tuesday's order to shut the Houston consulate marked a dramatic escalation after months of mud-slinging.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed the consulate had been "a hub of spying and intellectual property theft".
China has four other consulates in the United States – in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York – as well as an embassy in Washington.
US President Donald Trump told a news briefing on Wednesday it was "always possible" other Chinese missions could be closed too.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, REUTERS)
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france24--2020-07-24--France pledges €15 million to Lebanese schools crippled by crisis

France 's visiting foreign minister on Friday pledged €15 million ( $ 17 million ) in aid to Lebanon 's schools , which have been hit hard by the country 's economic meltdown .
France will not abandon Lebanese youth , Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told reporters as he visited a school in Mechref , south of Beirut , on the third and final day of his trip to Lebanon .
The French financial assistance will go to a network of over 50 French and Francophone schools in the country .
The announcement comes a day after Le Drian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take the measures he said are necessary to save the country from collapse .
> > 'Help us to help you ' , French Foreign Minister Le Drian tells Lebanon Lebanon 's education sector has been hit hard by the crisis , with schools forced to let teachers and administrators go and many facing the risk of closure .
Parents , struggling to pay private school fees , are increasingly enrolling their children in already overcrowded public schools .
'On the verge of the abyss' The economic crisis has impacted almost all facets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mediterranean country long considered a middle-income state .
Since last year , unemployment has risen and poverty deepened , as foreign currency dried up and the local currency tumbled to lose more than 80 percent of its value against the dollar .
> > Lebanon ’ s neo-liberal wheels sped to a dream future , but the past applies the brakes Le Drian , who arrived here late Wednesday , said France could only help Lebanon face the crisis if Lebanese officials do their part , urging them to introduce much-needed reforms .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ official to visit the struggling country .
In stern public messages , he urged Lebanese officials to go through with an audit of the country 's central bank , reform a bloated and highly indebted electricity sector , and maintain an independent judiciary .
France is the former colonial power in Lebanon and has previously organised conferences that pledged assistance to Lebanon but demanded reforms to the public sector and governance .
“ Lebanon is on the verge of the abyss .
But there are ways on the table to fix this , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a school in Mechref district .
During the visit , Le Drian said Lebanon is on France 's list of priority countries for humanitarian assistance , adding that his country already donated €50 million ( $ 58 million ) , primarily to the healthcare sector to deal with the coronavirus challenge .
But Le Drian said Thursday the only way out of the financial and economic crisis for Lebanon is to secure a programme with the International Monetary Fund .
Only then can France and its allies secure assistance for Lebanon , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been bogged down in internal political disputes and struggles over who is to blame for banking losses .
Lebanon 's crisis is rooted in years of mismanagement and corruption .
It has deepened since the government defaulted on its sovereign debt in March , the eruption of the coronavirus pandemic and the restrictions that it brought .
Lebanon witnessed nationwide protests last October after the government , as part of efforts to introduce austerity measures , levied new taxes on messaging service WhatsApp .
Protesters accused the government of mismanagement and years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hariri to resign .
A new government , backed by the powerful Hezbollah group and its allies was formed in January and has since been bogged down by domestic rivalries on ways to proceed with reforms and the IMF talks .

France's visiting foreign minister on Friday pledged €15 million ($17 million) in aid to Lebanon's schools, which have been hit hard by the country's economic meltdown.
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France will not abandon Lebanese youth, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told reporters as he visited a school in Mechref, south of Beirut, on the third and final day of his trip to Lebanon.
The French financial assistance will go to a network of over 50 French and Francophone schools in the country.
The announcement comes a day after Le Drian scolded Lebanon's leadership for failing to take the measures he said are necessary to save the country from collapse.
>> 'Help us to help you', French Foreign Minister Le Drian tells Lebanon
Lebanon's education sector has been hit hard by the crisis, with schools forced to let teachers and administrators go and many facing the risk of closure. Parents, struggling to pay private school fees, are increasingly enrolling their children in already overcrowded public schools.
'On the verge of the abyss'
The economic crisis has impacted almost all facets of life in Lebanon, a small Mediterranean country long considered a middle-income state. Since last year, unemployment has risen and poverty deepened, as foreign currency dried up and the local currency tumbled to lose more than 80 percent of its value against the dollar.
>> Lebanon’s neo-liberal wheels sped to a dream future, but the past applies the brakes
Le Drian, who arrived here late Wednesday, said France could only help Lebanon face the crisis if Lebanese officials do their part, urging them to introduce much-needed reforms.
Le Drian is the first senior Western official to visit the struggling country. In stern public messages, he urged Lebanese officials to go through with an audit of the country's central bank, reform a bloated and highly indebted electricity sector, and maintain an independent judiciary.
France is the former colonial power in Lebanon and has previously organised conferences that pledged assistance to Lebanon but demanded reforms to the public sector and governance.
“Lebanon is on the verge of the abyss. But there are ways on the table to fix this,” he said Friday during a visit to a school in Mechref district.
IMF or bust
During the visit, Le Drian said Lebanon is on France's list of priority countries for humanitarian assistance, adding that his country already donated €50 million ($58 million), primarily to the healthcare sector to deal with the coronavirus challenge.
But Le Drian said Thursday the only way out of the financial and economic crisis for Lebanon is to secure a programme with the International Monetary Fund. Only then can France and its allies secure assistance for Lebanon, he added.
Talks with the IMF have been bogged down in internal political disputes and struggles over who is to blame for banking losses.
Lebanon's crisis is rooted in years of mismanagement and corruption. It has deepened since the government defaulted on its sovereign debt in March, the eruption of the coronavirus pandemic and the restrictions that it brought.
Lebanon witnessed nationwide protests last October after the government, as part of efforts to introduce austerity measures, levied new taxes on messaging service WhatsApp. Protesters accused the government of mismanagement and years of corruption and eventually forced then-premier Saad Hariri to resign.
A new government, backed by the powerful Hezbollah group and its allies was formed in January and has since been bogged down by domestic rivalries on ways to proceed with reforms and the IMF talks.
(FRANCE 24 with AP)
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france24--2020-07-24--From the ground up: Women in architecture

From the ground up : Women in architecture In many architectural schools across the world , women make up the @ @ @ @ @ why are so many buildings in cities and towns still being designed by men ?
@ @ @ @ @ 'The 51 Percent ' , we ask what will it take to construct a more @ @ @ @ @ of architecture .
Our reporters visit a neighbourhood in Vienna which has become a research @ @ @ @ @ equality in design .
Annette Young also talks to Brigitte Métra , one of France @ @ @ @ @ We will be taking a break over the European summer but will be back at @ @ @ @ @ a brand new series .
Take international news everywhere with you !
Download the France @ @

From the ground up: Women in architecture
12:10 THE 51 PERCENT © FRANCE 24
In many architectural schools across the world, women make up the majority of students. Yet why are so many buildings in cities and towns still being designed by men? In a special edition of 'The 51 Percent', we ask what will it take to construct a more balanced approach in the world of architecture. Our reporters visit a neighbourhood in Vienna which has become a research experiment to test ideas of equality in design. Annette Young also talks to Brigitte Métra, one of France's leading female architects.


france24--2020-07-24--Graves in Egypt relocated and demolished to make space for a highway

Videos and photos showing the demolition of tombs to make room for a new highway in historic Cairo have spread on social media channels throughout Egypt since July 18 .
As construction began , criticism of the cemetery ’ s destruction came from Cairo residents with families buried in the tombs , as well as historians and architects who say that the buildings in the area should be preserved .
Authorities in Cairo responded that they have not destroyed any registered Islamic monuments .
The video below shows the demolition of an exterior wall of a tomb on the street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cemetery of the Cairo Necropolis on July 18 .
Videos and pictures showing the destruction of tombs precipitated anger and confusion online , as Egyptians criticised their government for threatening historically and culturally important monuments .
“ The worst album of antiquities I have photographed in my life , and the worst pictures of the Necropolis of the Mamluks in your life .
For documentation only , ” this poster writes .
The Cairo Necropolis , or the City of the Dead , is a collection of vast cemeteries that date back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mosques and monuments in these areas are a part of Historic Cairo , which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List .
Over the centuries , both historical rulers and elites , as well as common people , have been laid to rest there .
The Cairo Necropolis is made up of three main cemeteries .
( Photo : Wikipedia . )
The Paradise Axis highway project aims to link Al Fardous Square ( on the western edge of the Northern Cemetery ) to the Tantawy Highway , effectively connecting Old and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ section of highway , eight metres of land had to be taken from each side of Qansuh Al Ghuri , a street that runs across the Northern Cemetery .
This part of the cemetery is characterised by slightly newer buildings than other areas of the Necropolis , with many notable tombs dating back to the Mamluk period ( the 13th to 16th century ) .
Several mosques and mausoleums from this period are located near the construction site , including the Tomb of Al Zahir Qansuh , a Mamluk sultan .
The videomaker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Qansuh Al Ghuri street in Historic Cairo while pointing out the surrounding historic monuments in the area .

Egypt
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Videos and photos showing the demolition of tombs to make room for a new highway in historic Cairo have spread on social media channels throughout Egypt since July 18. As construction began, criticism of the cemetery’s destruction came from Cairo residents with families buried in the tombs, as well as historians and architects who say that the buildings in the area should be preserved. Authorities in Cairo responded that they have not destroyed any registered Islamic monuments.
The video below shows the demolition of an exterior wall of a tomb on the street Qansuh Al Ghuri, in the Northern Cemetery of the Cairo Necropolis on July 18.
Videos and pictures showing the destruction of tombs precipitated anger and confusion online, as Egyptians criticised their government for threatening historically and culturally important monuments.
“The worst album of antiquities I have photographed in my life, and the worst pictures of the Necropolis of the Mamluks in your life. For documentation only,” this poster writes.
The Cairo Necropolis, or the City of the Dead, is a collection of vast cemeteries that date back to the 7th century. The cemeteries, mosques and monuments in these areas are a part of Historic Cairo, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Over the centuries, both historical rulers and elites, as well as common people, have been laid to rest there.
The Cairo Necropolis is made up of three main cemeteries. (Photo: Wikipedia.)
The Paradise Axis highway project aims to link Al Fardous Square (on the western edge of the Northern Cemetery) to the Tantawy Highway, effectively connecting Old and New Cairo. To build the newest section of highway, eight metres of land had to be taken from each side of Qansuh Al Ghuri, a street that runs across the Northern Cemetery.
This part of the cemetery is characterised by slightly newer buildings than other areas of the Necropolis, with many notable tombs dating back to the Mamluk period (the 13th to 16th century). Several mosques and mausoleums from this period are located near the construction site, including the Tomb of Al Zahir Qansuh, a Mamluk sultan.
The videomaker here shows the destruction of buildings on Qansuh Al Ghuri street in Historic Cairo while pointing out the surrounding historic monuments in the area.
According to the head of the Islamic, Coptic and Judaic Antiquities Sector, none of the buildings demolished were registered historic buildings. The Cairo Governorate has also said that only outer walls of tombs were destroyed and that they will be replaced in a similar architectural style to preserve the cultural heritage of the area.
Land from the Necropolis has been sequestered by the government for public works projects before. Development projects focused on increasing mobility in Cairo by building roads through the cemeteries have been ongoing since at least 2011.
'They signify a nation's collective memory and architectural mosaic'
Dr Wael Salah Fahmi, professor of architecture and urban design at Helwan University in Cairo, described the character of the Northern Cemetery area:
The urban fabric in the cemeteries is characterised by the historic Middle-Age architectural heritage shrines from the Mamluk era, significant tombs of prominent political, religious and cultural figures, ahwash (one-story buildings with courtyards where the deceased were buried) owned by Cairene families across generations and finally the residential islands, which are mainly informal buildings occupying empty plots and pockets of land. The architectural and heritage values of these inner cities cemeteries are basically beyond debate. Besides being part of the UNESCO heritage site of Islamic Cairo, they signify a nation's collective memory and architectural mosaic.
Despite denying the destruction of any historically important buildings, the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities has created a committee to inspect the remains of the demolition to decide if any decorated or inscribed debris should be displayed in museums.
The site of the highway project runs through a row of family mausoleums that typically have multiple rooms where the deceased are buried and an exterior wall around.
People who own land adjacent to the highway project in the Northern Cemetery were informed by Cairo authorities on June 15 that they must move the remains of their family members buried there before construction would begin in one month.
احنا لينا مدافن في الغفير وارثنينها عن جدودنا مبعوتلنا من مستشار رئيس الجمهورية عايزين ياخدوا مننا المدافن و يطلعوا ميتينا حرفيا عشان يعملوا محور الفردوس و عايزين رد في 48 ساعة، حسبي الله و نعم الوكيل انا معنديش كلام اقوله pic.twitter.com/cPTWPtc8hV عَـمْـرُو (@Morocropolis) June 25, 2020
Letters from Cairo authorities say that landowners must relocate their gravesites before construction begins. 'We have gravesites in Al Gharif that we inherited from our ancestors. The delegation of the President’s advisor wants to confiscate our gravesites and literally dig up our dead to create the highway. They want a response in 48 hours. I have no words,' this poster says.
“They are already dead, why don't they just leave them alone?”
On June 24, Adam (name changed for privacy) and his family learned that they were obliged to move some the remains of their deceased family members before buildings on the land would be demolished. Adam’s maternal grandparents and great-grandparents, as well as a cousin, are all buried in a family tomb structure on Qansuh Al Ghuri.
Documents shared by Adam show that he and his family have owned the land where the graves are located for more than 70 years. However, Egypt’s Constitution allows for the sequestering of private property in the case that it provides a public good.
Adam reported that his family was not compensated for their trouble nor were they provided with alternative gravesites:
My mother and my uncle tried to take legal action but they were told that will take time and probably they will never take any rights from the government. We also heard that they gave out alternative graves but we were told that we have no rights to them as they will take half of our land – not all of it. We still needed to move some of the remains. We asked for other new graves but they were too expensive. There are cheaper ones but we had to wait and we had no time. My uncle and my brother went and moved the remains of the women to be buried beside the men as they supposed that they needed the area where our women are buried, not the whole place. After we moved them they demolished the other part of the wall on the graves. We felt awful. My mum didn't believe it at first but after then she was crying every day. She said, ‘They are already dead, why don't they just leave them alone?’
This isn’t the first time that gravesites have been moved for public projects. In 2019, 76 families were compensated for government relocation of graves in the Ain Al Hayat district in southeast Cairo.
'I feel like it's a betrayal'
The tombs and monuments in the Northern Cemetery were built before Cairo’s rapid expansion in the 1960s. But in recent decades, housing, roads and commercial spaces have all encroached on the City of the Dead. Urbanisation and development have driven up prices in Cairo and caused a demand for cheaper housing farther away from the city centre – pushing people into Historic Cairo. Some of Cairo’s poorest residents have even been forced to squat in empty tombs and mausoleums.
But people like Adam, whose families have owned land in the cemetery for decades, feel that government repossessions for public projects are unfair.
This area was like a desert when the graves were built, but the city was expanded until it reached the graves. It's not our fault – my grandparents took a legal licence from the government to be able to bury family. How could they take it from us? I don't feel safe for my family. I feel like it's a betrayal. I feel sad for my grandparents whom I love and we feel unable to do anything for them.
This article was written by Pariesa Young


france24--2020-07-24--Kurdish-Iranian author held for six years granted asylum in New Zealand

Behrouz Boochani has been in New Zealand since November when he applied for refugee status .
A Kurdish-Iranian refugee who wrote an award-winning book on his mobile phone while held in one of Australia 's notorious Pacific detention camps has been granted asylum in New Zealand , officials said Friday .
Behrouz Boochani has been in New Zealand since November when he applied for refugee status after attending a literary festival to speak about his six years in limbo under Australia 's hardline immigration policies .
Immigration New Zealand said Boochani 's application had been successful , which means he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Pacific nation indefinitely .
`` Mr. Boochani has been recognised as a refugee under the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol , '' it said in a brief statement , refusing to release further details on privacy grounds .
Reports said the decision was relayed to the author on Thursday , his 37th birthday .
A relieved Boochani vowed to continue campaigning for refugee rights from his adopted homeland , where he will apply for permanent residency .
`` I now have certainty about my future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not fully enjoy this or celebrate while the Australian government is still unfairly detaining people in Port Moresby , Nauru and Australia , '' he said in a statement .
Boochani is currently working as a researcher at Canterbury University in the South Island city of Christchurch .
He painstakingly tapped out his book `` No Friend But The Mountains '' on WhatsApp while detained in the Australian-run Manus Island migrant camp off Papua New Guinea , which is now officially closed .
After being pulled from a sinking boat in Australian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Papua New Guinea under a policy adopted by Canberra to prevent asylum seekers arriving by sea from setting foot on Australian soil .
His account of his plight won numerous awards , including Australia 's richest literary honour , the Victorian Prize for Literature .
New Zealand Green Party human rights spokeswoman Golriz Ghahraman , a longtime supporter of Boochani , said the refugee decision showed her country was `` a place where fairness and compassion prevails '' .
`` People escaping torture and persecution based on their religion , race , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call home , they deserve protection , '' she said .
He fled Iran for Indonesia in 2013 when the Kurdish magazine he wrote for was raided by the military for publishing anti-government articles .
He then paid a people-smuggler to take him to Australia but the voyage ended with him being sent to Manus Island .

A Kurdish-Iranian refugee who wrote an award-winning book on his mobile phone while held in one of Australia's notorious Pacific detention camps has been granted asylum in New Zealand, officials said Friday.
Behrouz Boochani has been in New Zealand since November when he applied for refugee status.
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Behrouz Boochani has been in New Zealand since November when he applied for refugee status after attending a literary festival to speak about his six years in limbo under Australia's hardline immigration policies.
Immigration New Zealand said Boochani's application had been successful, which means he has the right to stay in the South Pacific nation indefinitely.
"Mr. Boochani has been recognised as a refugee under the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol," it said in a brief statement, refusing to release further details on privacy grounds.
Reports said the decision was relayed to the author on Thursday, his 37th birthday.
A relieved Boochani vowed to continue campaigning for refugee rights from his adopted homeland, where he will apply for permanent residency.
"I now have certainty about my future, which is good, but I cannot fully enjoy this or celebrate while the Australian government is still unfairly detaining people in Port Moresby, Nauru and Australia," he said in a statement.
Boochani is currently working as a researcher at Canterbury University in the South Island city of Christchurch.
Award-winning book written on WhatsApp
He painstakingly tapped out his book "No Friend But The Mountains" on WhatsApp while detained in the Australian-run Manus Island migrant camp off Papua New Guinea, which is now officially closed.
After being pulled from a sinking boat in Australian waters in 2013, Boochani was held in Papua New Guinea under a policy adopted by Canberra to prevent asylum seekers arriving by sea from setting foot on Australian soil.
His account of his plight won numerous awards, including Australia's richest literary honour, the Victorian Prize for Literature.
New Zealand Green Party human rights spokeswoman Golriz Ghahraman, a longtime supporter of Boochani, said the refugee decision showed her country was "a place where fairness and compassion prevails".
"People escaping torture and persecution based on their religion, race, and political activism deserve a place to call home, they deserve protection," she said.
"We welcome Behrouz wholeheartedly."
He fled Iran for Indonesia in 2013 when the Kurdish magazine he wrote for was raided by the military for publishing anti-government articles.
He then paid a people-smuggler to take him to Australia but the voyage ended with him being sent to Manus Island.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-07-27--France’s post-Covid healthcare reform pushes midwives to the brink

Although they were on the front lines throughout the peak of the Covid-19 epidemic , midwives feel forgotten by the healthcare reforms France adopted in the wake of its coronavirus crisis .
A team of four midwives ( two of whom are ultrasound specialists ) and four general practitioners has done everything possible to guarantee safety and serenity at the House of the Doctors of Pré-Saint-Gervais in Seine-Saint-Denis in greater Paris .
Three spacious waiting rooms have been dedicated to pregnant women , patients with Covid-19 symptoms and another for `` traditional '' patients .
Midwife Adrien Gantois received his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relaxed smile last Saturday .
He called her by her first name and knew her file by heart .
`` I am totally confident here , I even recommend the house to my patients , '' Malyza , herself a general practitioner , told FRANCE 24 .
At this clinic , located in the poorest department in France , the carers like the proximity to their patients , the long-term follow-ups and the individual stories .
Those who work here do so by choice , doing everything they can to care for at-risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we 're still just birthing attendants ’ Since agreements on France ’ s healthcare reform , known as the Ségur de la santé , were signed on July 13 , Gantois has been gritting his teeth .
Like many of his fellow midwives , he feels `` despised '' by the Ségur .
`` The Ségur was an opportunity to recognise the profession of midwifery and to value it at its true worth .
It was a failure , '' lamented Gantois , who has been a private midwife for six years and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ French Midwives ( Collège national des sages-femmes de France ) .
`` In the collective imagination , we are still birthing attendants .
But we have evolved in both training and competence , '' he said .
Midwives complete five years of study , including a year of medicine and four years of specialisation in gynaecology and obstetrics .
They can then perform hospital and home births as well as offering pregnancy monitoring , postpartum care , medical abortions and contraception , and responding to emergencies .
Mid-morning , loud crying rocked the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Behind closed doors , the distress of a mother-to-be was palpable .
Gantois had just detected that her cervix was too dilated , which carries a risk of premature birth .
The diagnosis was confirmed by ultrasound .
Within 10 minutes , emergency services had whisked her away to her maternity hospital .
`` Her file has already been transferred , '' Gantois said , once the crisis had passed .
`` The key to success is clear : We have to work hand in hand with the hospitals to streamline procedures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the attention of the Ségur , which did not aim to reform the system , '' he said with regret .
`` The Ségur is a disgrace , '' said Gantois , going on to raise another point that makes him bristle .
`` The fact that midwives are forgotten is a political and symbolic deficit that says a lot about patriarchy in France , '' he asserted .
`` Midwives are respected in countries more advanced in gender equality , where the importance of women 's health is recognised . ''
Cécile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perinatal network , feels the same way .
`` We are 99 percent a female profession and , on top of that , we take care of women : it 's a double disadvantage , '' she said .
Caze deplored the profession ’ s lack of political weight , with `` only '' 24,000 practitioners in France ( compared to more than 700,000 nurses ) they are rarely recognised and were excluded from the Ségur negotiations .
Under the agreed reform , midwives – who are considered part of the medical profession @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receive a pay rise of €183 ( net ) per month .
But they deplore the persistent lack of recognition .
`` When [ Minister of Health ] Olivier Véran says that the wage increases are the fruit of trade union negotiations , we have to remember that the midwives ' unions couldn ’ t take part in the Ségur and that the other unions do not recognise the specific nature of our profession , '' she said about comments made by Véran in a France 2 television interview last week , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been “ forgotten '' in the push for reform .
Need for rest and recognition The lack of representation is all the more difficult to swallow because , like other medical professions , midwives have remained on duty since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis .
`` Women do n't stop giving birth during Covid , '' said Caze , who , like Gantois , was part of the national crisis unit that worked throughout the lockdown .
Seine-Saint-Denis was one of the departments most affected by Covid-19 during the peak of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women testing positive for the virus – and the House of Doctors continued its mission without pause .
`` We gave it everything , '' said Gantois .
That included developing a coronavirus protocol , setting up teleconsultations , and continuing to offer emergency care and ultrasound scans .
Masks were bought at pharmacies , gowns were provided by town hall and hair nets were donated by a physiotherapy practice .
`` We were like reeds in a storm , '' Gantois said .
But their patients were able to rely on them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six and a half months into her pregnancy – Rebecca was first referred to the emergency room and then prepared for the birth by teleconsultation and essential in-patient care .
`` I was told that the risk of fetal transmission was minimal , so I clung to that idea .
The midwives reassured me , '' she recounted as she came out of her postpartum follow-up consultation .
Seine-Saint-Denis once again surpassed the alert threshold for Covid-19 with an incidence rate of 10.1 contaminations per 100,000 inhabitants in July , for the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The midwives say they are more prepared than they were when lockdown began in March .
They are also more tired .
Since coronavirus restrictions began easing in mid-May , in-person consultations have resumed under strict conditions and the schedule is full once again .
`` The future generation of the lockdown , '' laughed Gantois , his blue eyes smiling above his mask .
But the mask does n't hide his exhaustion .
`` I need rest to be able to perform in case of a second wave .
I also need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coup de grâce .
If we are not OK , we ca n't provide good care .
And that 's what the ministries do n't understand . ''
This article has been translated from the original in French .

Although they were on the front lines throughout the peak of the Covid-19 epidemic, midwives feel forgotten by the healthcare reforms France adopted in the wake of its coronavirus crisis.
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A team of four midwives (two of whom are ultrasound specialists) and four general practitioners has done everything possible to guarantee safety and serenity at the House of the Doctors of Pré-Saint-Gervais in Seine-Saint-Denis in greater Paris. Three spacious waiting rooms have been dedicated to pregnant women, patients with Covid-19 symptoms and another for "traditional" patients.
Midwife Adrien Gantois received his first patient at 9:15 am with a relaxed smile last Saturday. He called her by her first name and knew her file by heart. "I am totally confident here, I even recommend the house to my patients," Malyza, herself a general practitioner, told FRANCE 24.
At this clinic, located in the poorest department in France, the carers like the proximity to their patients, the long-term follow-ups and the individual stories. Those who work here do so by choice, doing everything they can to care for at-risk women.
To many people, ‘we're still just birthing attendants’
Since agreements on France’s healthcare reform, known as the Ségur de la santé, were signed on July 13, Gantois has been gritting his teeth. Like many of his fellow midwives, he feels "despised" by the Ségur.
"The Ségur was an opportunity to recognise the profession of midwifery and to value it at its true worth. It was a failure," lamented Gantois, who has been a private midwife for six years and is president of the National College of French Midwives (Collège national des sages-femmes de France). "In the collective imagination, we are still birthing attendants. But we have evolved in both training and competence," he said.
Adrien Gantois, midwife and president of the National College of French Midwives, on July 25, 2020. Sarah Leduc / France 24 © Sarah Leduc / France 24
Midwives complete five years of study, including a year of medicine and four years of specialisation in gynaecology and obstetrics. They can then perform hospital and home births as well as offering pregnancy monitoring, postpartum care, medical abortions and contraception, and responding to emergencies.
Mid-morning, loud crying rocked the tranquillity of the little house in Pré-Saint-Gervais. Behind closed doors, the distress of a mother-to-be was palpable. Gantois had just detected that her cervix was too dilated, which carries a risk of premature birth. The diagnosis was confirmed by ultrasound. Within 10 minutes, emergency services had whisked her away to her maternity hospital. "Her file has already been transferred," Gantois said, once the crisis had passed.
"The key to success is clear: We have to work hand in hand with the hospitals to streamline procedures. And that, too, escaped the attention of the Ségur, which did not aim to reform the system," he said with regret.
"The Ségur is a disgrace," said Gantois, going on to raise another point that makes him bristle. "The fact that midwives are forgotten is a political and symbolic deficit that says a lot about patriarchy in France," he asserted. "Midwives are respected in countries more advanced in gender equality, where the importance of women's health is recognised."
Cécile Caze, midwife coordinator of the Seine-Saint-Denis perinatal network, feels the same way. "We are 99 percent a female profession and, on top of that, we take care of women: it's a double disadvantage," she said.
Caze deplored the profession’s lack of political weight, with "only" 24,000 practitioners in France (compared to more than 700,000 nurses) they are rarely recognised and were excluded from the Ségur negotiations.
Under the agreed reform, midwives – who are considered part of the medical profession just like doctors and dentists – will receive a pay rise of €183 (net) per month. But they deplore the persistent lack of recognition.
"When [Minister of Health] Olivier Véran says that the wage increases are the fruit of trade union negotiations, we have to remember that the midwives' unions couldn’t take part in the Ségur and that the other unions do not recognise the specific nature of our profession," she said about comments made by Véran in a France 2 television interview last week, in which he insisted that midwives had not been “forgotten" in the push for reform.
Need for rest and recognition
The lack of representation is all the more difficult to swallow because, like other medical professions, midwives have remained on duty since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis. "Women don't stop giving birth during Covid," said Caze, who, like Gantois, was part of the national crisis unit that worked throughout the lockdown.
Seine-Saint-Denis was one of the departments most affected by Covid-19 during the peak of the crisis – with more than 200 pregnant women testing positive for the virus – and the House of Doctors continued its mission without pause.
"We gave it everything," said Gantois. That included developing a coronavirus protocol, setting up teleconsultations, and continuing to offer emergency care and ultrasound scans.
Masks were bought at pharmacies, gowns were provided by town hall and hair nets were donated by a physiotherapy practice.
"We were like reeds in a storm," Gantois said. But their patients were able to rely on them.
Diagnosed with Covid-19 in February – six and a half months into her pregnancy – Rebecca was first referred to the emergency room and then prepared for the birth by teleconsultation and essential in-patient care. "I was told that the risk of fetal transmission was minimal, so I clung to that idea. The midwives reassured me," she recounted as she came out of her postpartum follow-up consultation.
Seine-Saint-Denis once again surpassed the alert threshold for Covid-19 with an incidence rate of 10.1 contaminations per 100,000 inhabitants in July, for the first time since the end of May. The midwives say they are more prepared than they were when lockdown began in March. They are also more tired.
Since coronavirus restrictions began easing in mid-May, in-person consultations have resumed under strict conditions and the schedule is full once again.
"The future generation of the lockdown," laughed Gantois, his blue eyes smiling above his mask. But the mask doesn't hide his exhaustion. "I need rest to be able to perform in case of a second wave. I also need some distance because the Ségur was the coup de grâce. If we are not OK, we can't provide good care. And that's what the ministries don't understand."
This article has been translated from the original in French.
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france24--2020-07-28--US Republicans unveil $1 trillion Covid-19 recovery plan

Senate Republicans on Monday proposed a $ 1 trillion coronavirus aid package hammered out with the White House , paving the way for talks with Democrats on how to help Americans as expanded unemployment benefits for millions of workers expire this week .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called the proposal a `` tailored and targeted '' plan focused on getting children back to school and employees back to work and protecting corporations from lawsuits , while slashing the expiring supplemental unemployment benefits of $ 600 a week by two-thirds .
The plan sparked immediate opposition from both Democrats and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limited compared to their $ 3 trillion proposal that passed the House of Representatives in May , while some Republicans called it too expensive .
McConnell said the package would include direct $ 1,200 payments to Americans , as well as incentives for the manufacture of personal protective equipment in the United States , rather than China .
It also includes $ 190 billion for loans to help small businesses , and $ 100 billion for loans to businesses that operate seasonally or in low-income areas .
Republicans want to reduce the expanded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per week , which is in addition to state unemployment payments and expires on Friday , to $ 200 in addition to state unemployment .
After two months , states would pay unemployed people a total of 70 % of their previous wages , but only to a maximum of $ 500 per week , less than half of what many workers have been getting .
The supplemental unemployment has been a financial lifeline for laid-off workers and a key support for consumer spending .
The extra funds - exceeding the former wages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sticking point for many Republicans , who say they encourage Americans to stay home rather than go back to work .
Democrats , in turn , have decried the Republican delay in writing more legislation as confirmed U.S. coronavirus cases passed the 4 million mark .
The pandemic has killed roughly 150,000 people in the United States .
The Democratic-led House in May passed its $ 3 trillion coronavirus relief bill known as the `` HEROES Act , '' but the Republican-led Senate refused to consider it .
McConnell on Monday called the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and urged Democrats to work with Republicans on their plan , called the `` HEALS Act . ''
`` We have one foot in the pandemic and one foot in the recovery , '' McConnell said .
`` The American people need more help .
They need it to be comprehensive , and they need it to be carefully tailored to this crossroads . ''
It includes nearly $ 30 billion for the military and defense industry , in addition to nearly $ 760 billion already enacted for defense this year - including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus relief bills .
Immediate opposition from some of McConnell 's fellow Republicans , as well as from Democrats , signaled a tough round of negotiations ahead .
`` The answer to these challenges will not simply be shoveling cash out of Washington .
The answer to these challenges will be getting people back to work , '' Republican Senator Ted Cruz told reporters .
Some Republicans had complained about the high price tag .
The federal government has already spent $ 3.7 trillion to cushion the economic blow from pandemic-forced shutdowns .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican plan did too little , too slowly , to help Americans facing joblessness and eviction .
`` The Republican plan is weak tea , when our problems need a much stronger brew , '' Schumer said .
He said many states had warned they would have a hard time implementing unemployment changes .
Many Americans waited weeks for previous coronavirus benefits , as outmoded state computer systems adjusted .
Democrats had warned they would oppose a Republican proposal to protect businesses and schools from liability lawsuits as they reopen with the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also includes measures not directly related to the COVID-19 outbreak , including $ 1.8 billion for construction of a new FBI headquarters in Washington , something championed by President Donald Trump , who owns a hotel across the street from the current building .

Senate Republicans on Monday proposed a $1 trillion coronavirus aid package hammered out with the White House, paving the way for talks with Democrats on how to help Americans as expanded unemployment benefits for millions of workers expire this week.
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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called the proposal a "tailored and targeted" plan focused on getting children back to school and employees back to work and protecting corporations from lawsuits, while slashing the expiring supplemental unemployment benefits of $600 a week by two-thirds.
The plan sparked immediate opposition from both Democrats and Republicans. Democrats decried it as too limited compared to their $3 trillion proposal that passed the House of Representatives in May, while some Republicans called it too expensive.
McConnell said the package would include direct $1,200 payments to Americans, as well as incentives for the manufacture of personal protective equipment in the United States, rather than China.
It also includes $190 billion for loans to help small businesses, and $100 billion for loans to businesses that operate seasonally or in low-income areas.
Republicans want to reduce the expanded unemployment benefit from the current $600 per week, which is in addition to state unemployment payments and expires on Friday, to $200 in addition to state unemployment.
After two months, states would pay unemployed people a total of 70% of their previous wages, but only to a maximum of $500 per week, less than half of what many workers have been getting.
The supplemental unemployment has been a financial lifeline for laid-off workers and a key support for consumer spending. The extra funds - exceeding the former wages of some workers - have been a sticking point for many Republicans, who say they encourage Americans to stay home rather than go back to work.
Democrats, in turn, have decried the Republican delay in writing more legislation as confirmed U.S. coronavirus cases passed the 4 million mark. The pandemic has killed roughly 150,000 people in the United States.
Liability protections and defence spending
The Democratic-led House in May passed its $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill known as the "HEROES Act," but the Republican-led Senate refused to consider it.
McConnell on Monday called the House bill a "socialist manifesto" and urged Democrats to work with Republicans on their plan, called the "HEALS Act."
"We have one foot in the pandemic and one foot in the recovery," McConnell said. "The American people need more help. They need it to be comprehensive, and they need it to be carefully tailored to this crossroads."
The proposal included "strong legal liability protection" for corporations, a top Republican priority.
It includes nearly $30 billion for the military and defense industry, in addition to nearly $760 billion already enacted for defense this year - including more than $10 billion in previous coronavirus relief bills.
Immediate opposition from some of McConnell's fellow Republicans, as well as from Democrats, signaled a tough round of negotiations ahead.
"The answer to these challenges will not simply be shoveling cash out of Washington. The answer to these challenges will be getting people back to work," Republican Senator Ted Cruz told reporters.
Some Republicans had complained about the high price tag. The federal government has already spent $3.7 trillion to cushion the economic blow from pandemic-forced shutdowns.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said the Republican plan did too little, too slowly, to help Americans facing joblessness and eviction. "The Republican plan is weak tea, when our problems need a much stronger brew," Schumer said.
He said many states had warned they would have a hard time implementing unemployment changes. Many Americans waited weeks for previous coronavirus benefits, as outmoded state computer systems adjusted.
Democrats had warned they would oppose a Republican proposal to protect businesses and schools from liability lawsuits as they reopen with the coronavirus pandemic still raging.
The Republican proposal also includes measures not directly related to the COVID-19 outbreak, including $1.8 billion for construction of a new FBI headquarters in Washington, something championed by President Donald Trump, who owns a hotel across the street from the current building.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-07-27--New limits on travel as world comes to grips with second Covid-19 wave

Nations in Asia imposed new restrictions on Monday and an abrupt British quarantine on travellers from Spain threw Europe 's summer reopening into disarray , as the world confronted the prospect of a second wave of COVID-19 infections .
Surges were reported in a number of countries previously singled out as places where the virus was under control .
Australia recorded a record daily rise .
Vietnam locked down the city of Danang , forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of visitors .
Mainland China confirmed the most new locally transmitted cases since early March .
Papua New Guinea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gatherings of more than two people , closed down restaurant dining and introduced mandatory face masks in public places , including outdoors , fearing a possible third wave there .
Just weeks after European countries trumpeted the reopening of tourism , a surge in infections in Spain prompted Britain to order all travellers from there to quarantine for two weeks , torpedoing the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of people .
The World Health Organization said travel restrictions could not be the answer for the long term , and countries had to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their borders by adopting proven strategies such as social distancing and the wearing of masks .
`` It is going to be almost impossible for individual countries to keep their borders shut for the foreseeable future .
Economies have to open up , people have to work , trade has to resume , '' WHO emergencies programme director Mike Ryan said .
`` What is clear is pressure on the virus pushes the numbers down .
Release that pressure and cases creep back up . ''
Not like before Officials in some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus is again spreading say new outbreaks will not be as bad as the original waves that hit earlier this year , and can be contained with local measures rather than nationwide shutdowns .
But countries that have suffered extreme economic hardship from months of lockdowns are also determined not to let the virus get out of control again , even if that means reversing the path to reopening .
Europe has yet to lift bans on travellers from many countries , including the United States , where the average number of daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is now above 60,000 .
Britain 's announcement of the return of quarantine for Spain was likely to torpedo the revival of airlines and tourism businesses across the continent , which had thought they had survived their biggest crisis in living memory .
Britain accounts for more than 20 % of foreign visitors to Spain , where tourism represents 12 % of the economy .
A British junior health minister said more European countries could end up on the `` red list '' if infections surge .
`` If we see the rates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take action because we can not take the risk of coronavirus being spread again across the UK , '' Helen Whately told Sky News when asked if Germany or France might be next after Spain .
In China , which managed to squelch local transmission through firm lockdowns after the virus first emerged in the central city of Wuhan late last year , the new surge has been driven by fresh infections in the far western region of Xinjiang .
In the northeast , Liaoning province reported a fifth straight day of new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases , its first since late May .
Australian authorities who have imposed a six-week lockdown in parts of the southeastern state of Victoria said it could last longer after the country 's highest daily increase in infections .
`` The tragedy of COVID-19 is that we know , with the number of new infections that we have seen today , that there will be many further deaths in the days ahead , '' Australian Deputy Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd told reporters .
In Japan , the government said it would urge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as staggered shifts , and aimed to see rates of telecommuting return to levels achieved during an earlier state of emergency .
`` At one point , commuter numbers were down by 70 to 80 % , but now it 's only about 30 % , '' Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said late on Sunday .
`` We really do n't want to backtrack on this , so we have to explore new ways of working and keep telecommuting high . ''
Vietnam is evacuating 80,000 people , mostly local tourists , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three residents tested positive at the weekend .
Until Saturday , the country had reported no community infections since April .
North Korean state media reported on the weekend that the border town of Kaesong was in lockdown after a person who defected to South Korea three years ago returned this month with symptoms of COVID-19 .
If confirmed , it would be the first case officially acknowledged by Pyongyang .
Papua New Guinea halted entry for travellers from Monday , except those arriving by air , as it tightens curbs against infections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past week .

Nations in Asia imposed new restrictions on Monday and an abrupt British quarantine on travellers from Spain threw Europe's summer reopening into disarray, as the world confronted the prospect of a second wave of COVID-19 infections.
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Surges were reported in a number of countries previously singled out as places where the virus was under control.
Australia recorded a record daily rise. Vietnam locked down the city of Danang, forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of visitors. Mainland China confirmed the most new locally transmitted cases since early March. Papua New Guinea shut its borders.
Hong Kong banned gatherings of more than two people, closed down restaurant dining and introduced mandatory face masks in public places, including outdoors, fearing a possible third wave there.
Just weeks after European countries trumpeted the reopening of tourism, a surge in infections in Spain prompted Britain to order all travellers from there to quarantine for two weeks, torpedoing the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of people.
The World Health Organization said travel restrictions could not be the answer for the long term, and countries had to do more to halt the spread inside their borders by adopting proven strategies such as social distancing and the wearing of masks.
"It is going to be almost impossible for individual countries to keep their borders shut for the foreseeable future.
Economies have to open up, people have to work, trade has to resume," WHO emergencies programme director Mike Ryan said.
"What is clear is pressure on the virus pushes the numbers down. Release that pressure and cases creep back up."
Not like before
Officials in some of the European and Asian countries where the virus is again spreading say new outbreaks will not be as bad as the original waves that hit earlier this year, and can be contained with local measures rather than nationwide shutdowns.
But countries that have suffered extreme economic hardship from months of lockdowns are also determined not to let the virus get out of control again, even if that means reversing the path to reopening.
Europe has yet to lift bans on travellers from many countries, including the United States, where the average number of daily new infections has soared since mid-June and is now above 60,000.
01:20
Britain's announcement of the return of quarantine for Spain was likely to torpedo the revival of airlines and tourism businesses across the continent, which had thought they had survived their biggest crisis in living memory.
Britain accounts for more than 20% of foreign visitors to Spain, where tourism represents 12% of the economy.
A British junior health minister said more European countries could end up on the "red list" if infections surge.
"If we see the rates going up, we would have to take action because we cannot take the risk of coronavirus being spread again across the UK," Helen Whately told Sky News when asked if Germany or France might be next after Spain.
01:50
In China, which managed to squelch local transmission through firm lockdowns after the virus first emerged in the central city of Wuhan late last year, the new surge has been driven by fresh infections in the far western region of Xinjiang.
In the northeast, Liaoning province reported a fifth straight day of new infections and Jilin province reported two new cases, its first since late May.
Australian authorities who have imposed a six-week lockdown in parts of the southeastern state of Victoria said it could last longer after the country's highest daily increase in infections.
"The tragedy of COVID-19 is that we know, with the number of new infections that we have seen today, that there will be many further deaths in the days ahead," Australian Deputy Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd told reporters.
In Japan, the government said it would urge business leaders to ramp up anti-virus measures such as staggered shifts, and aimed to see rates of telecommuting return to levels achieved during an earlier state of emergency.
"At one point, commuter numbers were down by 70 to 80%, but now it's only about 30%," Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said late on Sunday. "We really don't want to backtrack on this, so we have to explore new ways of working and keep telecommuting high."
Vietnam is evacuating 80,000 people, mostly local tourists, from the central city of Danang after three residents tested positive at the weekend. Until Saturday, the country had reported no community infections since April.
North Korean state media reported on the weekend that the border town of Kaesong was in lockdown after a person who defected to South Korea three years ago returned this month with symptoms of COVID-19. If confirmed, it would be the first case officially acknowledged by Pyongyang.
Papua New Guinea halted entry for travellers from Monday, except those arriving by air, as it tightens curbs against infections that have more than doubled over the past week.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-07-27--Netanyahu says Hezbollah ‘playing with fire,’ but Shiite group denies role in border clash

Armoured vehicles and 155 mm self-propelled howitzers deployed in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel on the border with Lebanon on July 27 , 2020 .
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hezbollah carried out an infiltration attempt along the Lebanese-Israeli frontier on Monday , disputing the Iranian-backed Shiite group 's denial of any involvement in the incident .
In a televised address hours after the incident in the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms region adjoining the Golan Heights , Netanyahu said : `` We take a grave view of this attempt to infiltrate our territory .
Hezbollah and Lebanon bear full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Lebanese territory against Israel .
Hezbollah should know that it is playing with fire . ''
Netanyahu was sitting alongside Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz , who warned that any operation against Israel would draw a powerful Israeli response .
Hezbollah , however , denied it carried out a raid over Lebanon ’ s southern border , insisting , in a statement , that the incident was `` from one side only , from the anxious enemy '' and that the Israel claim was “ absolutely not true '' .
Earlier Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) said a group of three to five men armed with rifles crossed the Blue Line that divides the country in the disputed Mount Dov area , claimed by Lebanon , Syria and Israel as their own .
Israeli army spokesman Jonathan Conricus said spotters had tracked the group as they approached the border .
`` Once they crossed the border , we engaged , '' he said .
`` We confirmed visually that the terrorists fled back to Lebanon , '' he added .
There were no reported casualties among Israeli forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ followed Israeli media reports of a looming possible retaliation attack from Hezbollah after one of its fighters was killed in an air strike in Syria that was blamed on Israel .
A Lebanese TV station loyal to Hezbollah said Israel had been shelling targets across the border .
An AFP correspondent reported Israeli artillery bombardment on the hills of Kfarchouba in the Shebaa Farms area near the Israeli position of Roueysaat al-Alam , and reported plumes of smoke rising above the area .
Israel 's army had initially ordered civilians on its side @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but later lifted those restrictions .
The UN considers the Mount Dov area where the clashes occurred as part of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights .
UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL called for `` maximum restraint '' , adding that the firing had stopped .
Israel has in recent days placed its northern border on high alert and sent troop reinforcements to the area .
Lebanon-based Hezbollah has a substantial presence in Syria , where it is fighting in support of the Damascus government in the country 's civil war .
Israel hit Syrian army @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the Syrian border into Israel .
Hezbollah 's No .
2 , Naim Qasim , said on Sunday : `` If the Israelis decided to launch a war , we will confront it and we will respond . ''
`` What happened in Syria is an aggression that led to the death of Ali Kamil Mohsen , '' he said about the strike in Syria .
The evening missile attack on July 20 hit weapons depots and military positions belonging to Syrian regime forces and Iran-backed militia fighters south of Damascus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rights .

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hezbollah carried out an infiltration attempt along the Lebanese-Israeli frontier on Monday, disputing the Iranian-backed Shiite group's denial of any involvement in the incident.
Armoured vehicles and 155 mm self-propelled howitzers deployed in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel on the border with Lebanon on July 27, 2020.
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In a televised address hours after the incident in the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms region adjoining the Golan Heights, Netanyahu said: "We take a grave view of this attempt to infiltrate our territory. Hezbollah and Lebanon bear full responsibility for this incident and any attack from Lebanese territory against Israel. Hezbollah should know that it is playing with fire."
Netanyahu was sitting alongside Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz, who warned that any operation against Israel would draw a powerful Israeli response.
Hezbollah, however, denied it carried out a raid over Lebanon’s southern border, insisting, in a statement, that the incident was "from one side only, from the anxious enemy" and that the Israel claim was “absolutely not true".
We thwarted an infiltration attempt by a Hezbollah terror squad in northern Israel an hour ago. No injuries to IDF troops were reported.
We continue to stand ready to defend Israel's border from any enemy threat. pic.twitter.com/8NHmGeINsP — Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) July 27, 2020
Earlier Monday, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said a group of three to five men armed with rifles crossed the Blue Line that divides the country in the disputed Mount Dov area, claimed by Lebanon, Syria and Israel as their own.
Israeli army spokesman Jonathan Conricus said spotters had tracked the group as they approached the border.
"Once they crossed the border, we engaged," he said.
"We confirmed visually that the terrorists fled back to Lebanon," he added.
There were no reported casualties among Israeli forces, Conricus said.
Monday's clash followed Israeli media reports of a looming possible retaliation attack from Hezbollah after one of its fighters was killed in an air strike in Syria that was blamed on Israel.
A Lebanese TV station loyal to Hezbollah said Israel had been shelling targets across the border.
An AFP correspondent reported Israeli artillery bombardment on the hills of Kfarchouba in the Shebaa Farms area near the Israeli position of Roueysaat al-Alam, and reported plumes of smoke rising above the area.
Israel's army had initially ordered civilians on its side of the Blue Line to stay indoors but later lifted those restrictions.
02:00
'Maximum restraint'
The UN considers the Mount Dov area where the clashes occurred as part of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL called for "maximum restraint", adding that the firing had stopped.
Israel has in recent days placed its northern border on high alert and sent troop reinforcements to the area.
Lebanon-based Hezbollah has a substantial presence in Syria, where it is fighting in support of the Damascus government in the country's civil war.
Israel hit Syrian army targets late Friday after munitions were fired across the Syrian border into Israel.
Hezbollah's No. 2, Naim Qasim, said on Sunday: "If the Israelis decided to launch a war, we will confront it and we will respond."
"What happened in Syria is an aggression that led to the death of Ali Kamil Mohsen," he said about the strike in Syria.
The evening missile attack on July 20 hit weapons depots and military positions belonging to Syrian regime forces and Iran-backed militia fighters south of Damascus, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
(FRANCE 24 with AP, AFP and REUTERS)
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france24--2020-07-27--Belgium tightens Covid-19 restrictions to avoid another lockdown amid rise in cases

Belgium 's prime minister on Monday put the brakes on the country 's coronavirus exit plan , unveiling a set of drastic social distancing measures aimed at avoiding a new general lockdown amid a surge of COVID-19 infections .
Speaking after an urgent meeting of the national security council , Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes said that from next Wednesday contacts outside every household will be limited to the same five people over the next four weeks , as the so-called “ social bubble ” now applies to a house and its occupants and not to individuals .
Belgian residents are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people per week .
The measures don ’ t apply to children under the age of 12 .
“ Our aim is clear — avoid another full lockdown , ” Wilmes said .
Wilmes said that the new measures — which also include lowering crowd limits at public events to 100 people indoors and 200 people outdoors — could be sufficient to avoid further restrictions and to ensure children can return to school en masse in September , after the summer break .
Wilmes exhorted people to get back to working remotely when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a successful deconfinement.
” She added that shoppers should run errands alone from now on and limit the time they spend in stores to 30 minutes .
In addition , family or friends ' gatherings —including wedding receptions — will be limited to a maximum of 10 people .
“ However , the most important approach is the individual one , ” Wilmes said .
“ If we can not contain the coronavirus , it will be a collective failure.
” After a sharp decline of infections , Belgium has witnessed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three weeks .
According to figures released Monday , the number rose 71 % from July 17-23 compared to the previous 7 days , with 47 % of the cases detected in Antwerp province .
The number of cases also increased greatly in the rest of the county , with an average of 279 new daily cases and a 30 % rise in the number of people admitted to hospital .
Wilmes called on local authorities to take strong additional measures if the health situation deteriorates in their cities .
“ The urgency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requires strong measures to be taken quickly , ” she said .
Meanwhile , Brussels mayor Philippe Close announced the cancellation of the 140th edition of the city 's annual summer funfair , saying it was impossible for the popular event to take place on account of the latest health guidelines .
Belgium , a country with 11.5 million inhabitants , has been particularly hard hit by the virus , with more than 66,000 cases and 9,821 deaths .
The government had already tightened restrictions last week , making the use of face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requiring bar and restaurant owners to register contact details of customers .

Belgium's prime minister on Monday put the brakes on the country's coronavirus exit plan, unveiling a set of drastic social distancing measures aimed at avoiding a new general lockdown amid a surge of COVID-19 infections.
Advertising Read more
Speaking after an urgent meeting of the national security council, Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes said that from next Wednesday contacts outside every household will be limited to the same five people over the next four weeks, as the so-called “social bubble” now applies to a house and its occupants and not to individuals. Belgian residents are currently allowed to meet with 15 different people per week. The measures don’t apply to children under the age of 12.
“Our aim is clear — avoid another full lockdown,” Wilmes said.
Wilmes said that the new measures — which also include lowering crowd limits at public events to 100 people indoors and 200 people outdoors — could be sufficient to avoid further restrictions and to ensure children can return to school en masse in September, after the summer break.
Wilmes exhorted people to get back to working remotely when possible, “one of the keys for a successful deconfinement.” She added that shoppers should run errands alone from now on and limit the time they spend in stores to 30 minutes. In addition, family or friends' gatherings —including wedding receptions — will be limited to a maximum of 10 people.
“However, the most important approach is the individual one,” Wilmes said. “If we cannot contain the coronavirus, it will be a collective failure.”
After a sharp decline of infections, Belgium has witnessed a surge in confirmed cases over the past three weeks. According to figures released Monday, the number rose 71% from July 17-23 compared to the previous 7 days, with 47% of the cases detected in Antwerp province.
The number of cases also increased greatly in the rest of the county, with an average of 279 new daily cases and a 30% rise in the number of people admitted to hospital.
01:50
Wilmes called on local authorities to take strong additional measures if the health situation deteriorates in their cities.
“The urgency of the situation in Antwerp demands and requires strong measures to be taken quickly,” she said.
Meanwhile, Brussels mayor Philippe Close announced the cancellation of the 140th edition of the city's annual summer funfair, saying it was impossible for the popular event to take place on account of the latest health guidelines.
Belgium, a country with 11.5 million inhabitants, has been particularly hard hit by the virus, with more than 66,000 cases and 9,821 deaths. The government had already tightened restrictions last week, making the use of face masks mandatory in crowded outdoor spaces while requiring bar and restaurant owners to register contact details of customers.
(AP)
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