French finance minister: New COVID lockdown can only be last resort

Reuters
Le French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire looks on after taking part in the weekly cabinet meeting at The Elysee Presidential Palace, as a a draft law integrating environmental protection into the preamble of the Constitution is presented, in Paris, on Jan. 20, 2021. (File/AFP)
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PARIS A new lockdown to curb the COVID-19 virus in France can only be a last resort, said French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire on Monday, who added that the country’s current curfew measures were delivering results in terms of trying to contain the virus.
Le Maire told RTL radio that France’s current curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. cost the economy around $7.3 billion a month whereas a full lockdown would cost it around 15 billion euros a month.
France decided against imposing a third nationwide coronavirus lockdown on Friday.