How long will France’s national lockdown last?

Reader question: How long will this second confinement last? Will it be in place through Christmas?

The lockdown came into effect on Thursday (October 29) at midnight, and is set to last until at least December 1.

President Macron has set the objective of going from around 40,000 new Covid-19 cases per day to around 5,000 per day in that time.

However, Jean-François Delfraissy, the president of the Scientific Council, which advises the government on coronavirus, does not think this is achievable.

"It will take more time,” he told radio station France Inter.

“The idea is rather to have a one-month confinement, look at the different markers, then to get out of the confinement via a curfew that could continue during the month of December, possibly cover Christmas and New Year's Day, and only come out at the beginning of January. The figure of 5,000 new contaminations per day is achievable at this time,” he said.

The situation is due to be assessed again in two weeks time, when the government will decide if additional measures need to be taken, or if some restrictions can be relaxed.

France’s first lockdown in Spring lasted 55 days, from March 17 to May 11.

France has regularly been reporting over 40,000 new coronavirus cases per day in recent weeks. In the past 24 hours, there were 49,215 new cases, Santé Publique France figures show.

Read more about the lockdown:

France lockdown: The exemption forms you need

Which shops can stay open during lockdown in France?

Lockdown 'necessary' says president of French doctors union