France will gradually end its 2 month lockdown from May 11, with the “deconfinement plan” to be unfurled in two stages. Firstly there will be an end to the stay-at-home order and reopening of shops and schools, followed in early June by restaurants, bars, cafes and museums.
But the end of the two month nationwide lockdown, in place since March 17, is conditional: Firstly on maintaining lower infection rates of less than 3,000 new cases a day up until that date; secondly on no public slackening off on the current quarantine rules. If people start flouting the decree before May 11, then they will have to stay put longer warned Prime Minister Édouard Philippe. The move hinges strongly on collective civility he said announcing the measures Tuesday afternoon. “The viral chain must be replaced by a chain of solidarity ... Individual discipline and responsibility must be shared by all citizens.”
The May 11 deconfinement will be reassessed a few days ahead. Likewise with the forecast openings in June, the government will revisit the situation ahead of that date, to ensure things are going in the right direction.
The French PM says the lockdown “was an efficient instrument,” but is “not sustainable”. 60,000 lives have been saved by the quarantine measures, but now it’s time to save the economy. "We are going to have to live with COVID-19,” he said.
The coronavirus has killed 23,293 in France according to the latest health statistics.
“We must progressively, prudently and resolutely advance towards a gradual end to the lockdown,” Philippe said. The plan has three major prongs: Protect, test and isolate. “From the moment we are no longer in a lockdown, the respect of infection ‘barrier gestures’, and social distancing will take on even more importance.” France will conduct 700,000 tests a week from May 11; people who test positive will have a choice to isolate at home or in special health centers.

A return to normal life will be staggered across the country, and take much longer in hotspot virus areas, designated as 'red departements', than those where low transmissions risk rates them 'green'.
So, all going well, what are the two major phases in the end to the French lockdown:
From May 11:
Shops and businesses All stores, large and small, can reopen. So too can libraries, smaller museums and cultural centres. Thousands of marketplaces across the country will also see the light of day again. Cafes, bars and restaurants remain shut.
Public transport will gradually pick up, though services will still be reduced, with about 70% of Paris Metro and RER services. Masks will be mandatory on public transport and in taxis. They will also be “preferable” elsewhere–with some 20 million to be distributed to pharmacies ahead of May 11.
Easing Of Stay-At-Home Order Individual freedom of movement will gain big strides. Instead of 1 hour of leisure a day, in a 1 km radius of one’s home, people will now be able to travel up to 100 km from their residence. That said, the government is urging people to continue working from home as much as possible.
What About The Lockdown Permission Form? The document required to validate every outing from shopping to exercise over past weeks can be done away with, except for trips longer than 100 km. In the latter case, the form will still be necessary to prove essential travels within France or overseas, for work, family or health reasons.
From June 2:
Cafes, restaurants and bars can open, along with cinemas, theatres and big museums such as the Paris Louvre. The gradual reopening will continue for months, with a review of the situation every couple of weeks.
Beaches will open in June but with strict social distancing. Swimming will be allowed, sunbathing prohibited in some areas. For example the mayor of Biarritz, Guillaume Barucq, told France Soir he plans to follow the Australian example, “where people are allowed to bathe, surf, walk in the water ... but not to sunbathe or build sandcastles: they must leave the place after practicing their physical activity.”
As to summer vacations, it’s way too early to make a decision the government says.
For sporting events, fans will have to wait until September to see matches in stadiums resume (note the Tour de France has also been pushed back to late August-early September).
Major cultural events too, with over 5000 participants, will be banned until September.
With most French people on the edge of their seats for the pronouncement on the end of the lockdown, now into its 43rd day, there was both good and bad news. No doubt some were hoping for more. In the end, the level of new-found freedoms are going to depend strongly on how people behave over coming days.
