22 March 2021 In France, the situation deemed worrying in some territories has led the government to impose a 7-day-a-week lockdown in 16 departments of the hexagon, including those of the Île-de-France. These 16 departments are now subject to local confinement since midnight on Friday 19 March 2021. Several hospitals are saturated, and patient transfers are frequent. Non-essential magazines are closed (except for bookshops, record shops and hairdressers). An exemption certificate is now required for travel to work, for school trips, out of curfew and for trips longer than 10 km. Schools remain open. Teleworking is highly recommended. Theatres, museums, cultural venues and restaurants are still closed until further notice. Self-tests are not yet allowed to be sold.
Test concerts with the public will take place within a month in Marseille and Paris. The aim is to ensure that they do not create clusters. No reopening date has yet been set. Theatre/Festival/Concert Hall cancellations for productions and concerts scheduled for May and June are underway.
The Ministry of Culture and Labour have launched a diagnostic mission on the situation of intermittent workers (status specific to artists in France). The conclusions of the mission are expected by the end of March 2021 and will lead to proposals for adjusting the status.