PARIS, October 29. /TASS/. France goes into a second self-isolation regime on the night of October 30 amid an increase in the number of cases of coronavirus infection, President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron announced on Wednesday.

The self-isolation regime that previously helped contain the virus will be reinstated from Friday, Macron said. This measure will operate throughout France until at least December 1, with the goal to reduce the number of infections per day from 40,000 to 5,000, he noted.

Macron acknowledged that the rate of spread of the virus outstripped the most pessimistic forecasts. He confirmed the statements of leading epidemiologists that the country was in a critical situation.

According to the French leader, if the rise in the number of cases is not stopped now, hospitals will quickly overflow. This time, the authorities, unlike the first wave of the pandemic, will no longer be able to transport patients from one region to another, since the virus is present everywhere, Macron warned.

The borders

The external borders of the Schengen area will remain closed for now due to the coronavirus pandemic, Macron announced.

The borders within the EU space will remain open. The external borders of the EU, however, will remain closed, Macron said. He stressed that the French who are abroad will be able to return to their homeland.

At the same time, Macron explained that upon arrival in the EU, everyone must be tested for coronavirus. No traveler should enter European territory before it becomes clear that they do not carry the virus, the French president said. He appealed to the French with a request to stay at home during quarantine if possible and take all necessary precautions.

In late December 2019, Chinese officials informed the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe, including Russia. On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic.