France announces stricter coronavirus confinement rules

French prime minister Edouard Philippe announced even stricter rules to try to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.
“Taking your children out or going to work out must be done within a one kilometer radius from one’s house, for maximum one hour and alone and once a day. The [permission slips] will have to be dated and show the time of the outing”, Philippe said on Monday.
“We decided to close the open-air markets, but prefects will be allowed to waive the rule, based upon the advice of the local mayor, because we know that in some small villages the open-air market is the best way and the only one sometimes for inhabitants to get fresh produce, and we must also think about the farmers who feed France and they should be able to sell their produce in good conditions”, Philippe added.
Outings to seek medical care have also been restricted to “urgent care or an appointment with a doctor or going to the emergency room” in addition to get care for chronic diseases.
Last week, the country’s president Emmanuel Macron announced a nationwide lockdown for at least 15 days. Philippe, however, signaled a possible extension of the confinement period, saying it could last “a few weeks”.
France now has nearly 20,000 confirmed cases, with over 800 deaths.