France divided: Lockdown will only be eased in some areas

Restrictions will remain in place in certains areas including Paris. /Ludovic Marin/AFP

France will begin bringing life back to normal in parts of the country in its lockdown-easing plan, the so-called "déconfinement," laid out by Prime Minister Edouard Philippe.

A strict shutdown has been in place since 17 March and Philippe feels sufficient progress has been made in three key areas to allow the restrictions to be eased in certain regions. The three areas are: the circulation of the virus, pressure on intensive care units and the country's capacity to test people.

The country has been divided into red and green zones. The Ile-de-France greater Paris region and the tiny overseas territory of Mayotte are the two worst-hit areas.

In red zones, where the virus is still a major threat, parks will not open and there will be at least three more weeks of strict rules on public transport. Working from home will continue to be encouraged and journeys on public transport must only be for essential reasons.

In green zones, there will be further easing of the lockdown, for example, cafes and restaurants will be able to reopen in those areas from June.

Flanked by senior cabinet ministers including Bruno Le Maire, the finance minister, and health secretary Olivier Veran, the prime minister said: "Monday will be first day of a new phase, not a completely normal life, but the beginning of a new phase."

Other measures being brought in include the disinfecting of trains, buses and trams at least once a day, 100 million masks being distributed to healthcare staff and vulnerable people and social security charges being wiped for March, April and May.

Philippe said people may find the government's response too cautious. He said he is comfortable with that assessment, arguing: "We have to be too careful ... the risk of the virus spiking again is so dangerous for our country ... that we must be too careful."

It was also announced that up to 85 percent of schools will reopen next week across France, but it will remain voluntary for parents to take their children back to the classroom.

The French public have been anxious to learn if they will be able to travel around the country or abroad for holidays, but the government has stood firm on this. The country's frontiers are to remain closed for the "foreseeable future."

The borders with EU neighbors will be shut until 15 June (except for cross-border workers). People will be able to come into France from EU countries if they have an essential family, school or economic reason, such as seasonal agriculture workers.