France to limit int'l trips to avoid new wave of coronavirus epidemic: Macron

PARIS - French people would have to spend summer holidays at home as international trips and travel within Europe may have to be limited on risks of new wave of coronavirus epidemic, President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday.

"It is too early to say whether we can take holidays. What I can say is that we will limit major international travel, even during the summer holidays," Macron said during a visit to a school in Paris suburbs.

"We will stay among Europeans and, depending on how the epidemic evolves, we might have to reduce that a little more. We will know early June," he added, warning that the combat against the coronavirus is not yet won.

"The virus is still there. We have slowed it down. We are going to open a new phase. If we are all collectively responsible, I am sure that we will succeed," he said.

As part of the country's strategy to lift anti-virus confinement, the government unveiled a color-coded map, showing departments in red, orange or green depending on the spread of the virus and pressure on intensive care units.

Following the evaluation of the health situation of each region, authorities, based on the map, will rapidly unwind lockdown measures in departments in green while maintain high vigilance in those in red.

"Let it be very clear: We know how it (the virus) circulates and that it is very dangerous. For someone who is fragile and rather old, even in the green zone, the situation is very dangerous," Macron said.

"When we are classified in green, we say to ourselves everything goes back to normal that would be wrong. It is the whole country that is engaged together in this phase. It is the same caution, the same spirit of responsibility," he added.