France to tighten COVID-19 controls at stations, airports and on roads

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02:18

French police will be increasing their checks on travelers in France to try to ensure the partial lockdowns in place in much of the country are being respected.

People living in Paris, Lille, Nice, Lyon and millions of other French citizens in other regions are under "braking measures" imposed by the government to try to slow the third wave of COVID-19 infections.

The restrictions prohibit travel between so-called "red zones" and also ban travel out of a shut-down region into an area of lesser concern.

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The measures also state that you can only travel a maximum of 10 kilometers from your house.

France is suffering from surging COVID-19 case numbers and increasing pressure on hospitals.

French police are set to carry out more checks on travelers to ensure the country's new partial lockdown is properly enforced. /AFP

There are more than 4,700 people in intensive care with COVID-19 – the highest number this year and approaching what France recorded in the second wave in November 2020.

President Emmanuel Macron says France can avoid having to bring back a national lockdown but he recognizes more may now need to be done.

"No doubt, in the coming days and weeks, we will have to take new measures," said Macron.

Speaking after the European Council on Thursday, the president said: "We will take them [any new measures] all together, in the light of the facts, in a transparent way and in real time."

The UK and Germany both imposed winter lockdowns but the French government was determined to use a national curfew instead of a third nationwide confinement, a decision the president defended.

France's President Emmanuel Macron has defended his decision not to enforce a full national lockdown as the country battles surging cases of COVID-19. /AFP

"I can tell you that this time I have no mea culpa to make, nor any remorse or admission of failure, we were right to do it," Macron said.

But alongside the deteriorating health situation is the improving picture regarding vaccinations.

Pharmacists are already able to carry out rapid COVID-19 tests and jabs and more qualified workers such as dentists and vets will soon be able to vaccinate people, too.

The government set a goal of getting 10 million people vaccinated by mid-April and at its current rate, it is likely to meet that target ahead of time.

And starting from this weekend, those aged over 70 and in good health can now get the shot.

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