Economics

French Bars, Restaurants Stay Shut Until at Least February

  • Pressure on France’s hospital system remains strong, PM says
  • Gyms, theaters and ski lifts will also stay closed for weeks
Chained up restaurant terrace seating in the Montmartre district in Paris on Nov. 24, 2020.Photographer: Nathan Laine/Bloomberg
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France will keep gyms, theaters and ski lifts closed until at least the end of January, and bars and restaurants until mid-February at the earliest, as the country’s coronavirus situation remains “fragile,” Prime Minister Jean Castex said.

The government confirmed restaurant owners’ fears, pushing back a Jan. 20 reopening date. French winter resorts, which had counted on reopening lifts this week, will be forced to delay the downhill skiing season.