France confirms plan to start easing Covid-19 lockdown on May 11

French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe on Thursday detailed his government’s plan for easing Covid-19 confinement measures on May 11, warning that the exit from lockdown would be gradual and targeted to stem a resurgence of the viral outbreak, France 24 reports.

The prime minister confirmed that May 11 would mark the beginning of a “progressive” exit from lockdown, ending almost two months of strict confinement for France’s 67-million-strong population.

“Next Monday will mark the start of a very gradual process stretching over several weeks at least, which will allow the country to emerge slowly but steadily from the lockdown," Philippe said, hours after the government put the final touches to its highly-anticipated roadmap.

Philippe said the government was looking to “strike the right balance between the indispensable resumption of economic (...) life and the indispensable need” to ensure the safety of the public. He said the exit from lockdown would be “differentiated”, with restrictions to be lifted gradually and varying between regions.

"The country is cut in two, with the virus circulating more quickly in some regions," he explained.

The French PM unveiled an updated version of the government's colour-coded map dividing the country between red zones, for high-infection areas, and green zones, where infections have been markedly lower. The map is designed to serve as a reference for lockdown easing measures.

“Some areas are still seeing an active circulation of the virus or a lot of pressure on hospitals. Those are classified as red areas,” Philippe said. “We will be ending the lockdown there, but some restrictions will remain in place: middle schools will remain closed, and so will parks and public gardens.”