France to end government’s coronavirus emergency powers on July 10

France will end special government powers brought in to deal with the coronavirus pandemic on July 10, the prime minister’s office has said. However, it will retain the ability to curb gatherings and freedom of movement for four months.

People are still being encouraged to wear face masks when outside and stay at least one meter apart. Most employees are continuing to work from home.

Any inquiry into the French response to the coronavirus pandemic should be handled by parliament rather than a judicial panel, Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet said. Paris prosecutors had earlier opened a preliminary inquiry into government actions to determine whether any criminal offences may have been committed, according to Reuters.

On Thursday, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said France should speed up its gradual return to work and business activity, as new data showed the economy lost half a million jobs in the first quarter alone.