France to send workers home three days a week as Covid cases surge
France will make working from home compulsory three days a week to contain the spread of the highly transmissible omicron variant.
Workers that have the option to stay away from the office must do so a minimum of three days and if possible four days to help reduce social contacts, Prime Minister Jean Castex said Monday.
He announced the measures -- which are due to enter into force on Jan. 3 for three weeks -- after a special cabinet meeting convened by President Emmanuel Macron amid skyrocketing coronavirus infections in the country.
"In France and in Europe, the health situation is, as you know, extremely tense," Castex told reporters. The government refrained from ordering a curfew for New Year's Eve.
France reported a daily record of more than 100,000 new cases on Saturday fueled by omicron's rapid spread, mirroring significant infection rates in the U.K. and Italy. Macron, who is widely expected to seek a second term in April's presidential election, has vowed to contain the virus while shielding the economy from another full lockdown.
More than 16,000 people are currently hospitalized for Covid in France, including some 3,300 in intensive care -- above the crisis threshold of 3,000 set by health officials.