France goes into lockdown

Stay home, or face punishment. The words of French president Emmanuel Macron on Monday as the French government ramped up its lockdown restrictions across the country.SOT MacronAs of Tuesday at noon, and for the next 15 days, our movement will have to be severely limited. That means outdoor gatherings, with family, and friends, will not be allowed. // Anyone who does not abide by those guidelines will be punished.Grocery shopping, going to work when working from home is impossible, and providing assistance to at risk family members… some of the few exceptions to the rule. Aside from those, anyone out without a valid reason will face a fine.SOT CastanerThere will be checks and verifications that will be carried out by law enforcement agencies. There will be both fixed and mobile checkpoints. // There will be 100,000 police officers who will be part of that force. // The violation of these rules, which currently leads to a fine of 38 euros, will soon see an increase to a fine of 135 euros.Top officials say they were shocked to see pictures of citizens flocking to parks and marketplaces on Sunday despite new lockdown measures that were announced the night before. Authorities hope the more severe rules, like the ones implemented in Italy and Spain, will curb the spread of coronavirus.In another shock decision EU leaders ordered the shutdown of travel between Schengen and non-Schengen countries… effectively putting Europe in lockdown.SOT MacronWe need to be able to protect ourselves and to stem the spread of this virus. We need to preserve our current medical system. // As of Monday, at noon, the European Union borders and the Schengen borders will be closed.And in a final decision which would’ve made headlines on any other night, the French government announced this Sunday’s second round of local elections will be postponed until June.