French Government Defends Fresh Measures Against Virus Surge

French Government Defends Fresh Measures Against Virus Surge
General view of the French parliament during a debate on the new COVID-19 measures at the National Assembly in Paris, Thursday, April 1, 2021. Michel Euler/AP Photo
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PARIS—France’s prime minister on April 1 defended new nationwide measures to combat a resurgent coronavirus in France that include closing schools for at least three weeks and putting in place a month-long domestic travel ban, saying the government has acted “consistently and pragmatically.”

The National Assembly, France’s lower house, voted to approve the new measures on April 1 by 348–9, after opposition parties boycotted the vote en masse.