French Prime Minister Jean Castex stated that the country cannot go in a third lockdown as the 'economic, social and human' costs can't be justified. Addressing a group of journalists on Thursday, the French PM noted that new national measures could be avoided thanks to stabilising new infection rates and the vaccine roll-out. 

To date, France has been reporting 316.47 cases of Covid per million people. France’s performance has been compared to that of the UK’s, where the former country has been having Britain's 331.09 cases of Covid per million people. Moreover, France has seen an increase in new cases whereas the UK’s rapid vaccination programme pushed the number down. 

“The situation today does not justify such a move,” Castex said, adding that another lockdown would only be considered “as a last resort”.

On the other hand, speaking on France Inter radio, Karine Lacombe, head of infectious diseases at Paris' Saint Antoine hospital noted, “We're still at a high plateau in France. At one point it will be too high and, to bring it down, new restrictive measures will be inevitable.” 

Castex has been pressured to force another lockdown by the president of the French hospital federation, Frederic Valletoux, describing the time as a “very tense” one.