@Qasd
I don’t know about “now” but France didn’t lift restrictions nationally but coded each area with restrictions lifted earlier in safer areas so generally they have taken a regional approach (not sure of now though) and I don’t know where they are re testing either now or at the height of the pandemic (is it like us that numbers now are just no comparable to April as no testing or did they test more from the start?).
They did get their numbers pretty low as actual number in May though often around 200/300 a day (but obviously it would depend on where they were in testing at the time I don’t know if they have an ons survey equivalent?...there is a lot about France I don’t know you may have guessed😂! Interesting to get the perspective of a french mumsnetter if there was one!)
France-based mumsnetter here. Honestly, I'm looking at the rocketing daily numbers trying to work out how it went so badly wrong. There are a couple of possible factors I can think of. Firstly, although school transmission is unlikely, we made the last two weeks of the academic year compulsory for all students. I'm not suggesting people were infected because of that (they clearly weren't, looking at the dates), but to persuade everyone it was a good idea there was a hard sell of "everything' s fine, it's under control, and the young are at basically no risk". Which meant lots of people really eased up outside of school, and lots of my colleagues started saying the restrictions were unnecessary, or ridiculous even, and everyone stopped SD and mask wearing in the staff room and started meeting up outside of work "as we all work together anyway".
Which brings me on to secondly, large gatherings of friends and family. On the 14th July we were invited to the 6th birthday party of the daughter of colleagues. DH, the two colleagues and I all work in the same school, we knew one other colleague was invited, and all our children go the the same school. So we figured that was fine. We got there and there were 24 adults and 14 children. The rest do not work with us and the other kids were from different schools. No one caught covid at that party, but I know from other friends and family that large numbers of French people really cut loose at the start of the holidays.
Thirdly, whilst cutting loose a lot of French people started doing the bise again (the cheek kissing), which we have been very clearly told to stop doing by every bloody doctor and scientist in the country. Even today I was asked by a neighbour if I was doing it or not when we said hello (she was going to do it, but happy to respect me not wanting to, and she has an illness that originally put her on the equivalent of the shielding list...).
And finally, they've buggered off all over the country on holiday. In general the French holiday more in-country than the brits do. Back in May/ early June colleagues and friends were all "ooh, I don't think we're going away this year, we don't want to risk it..." but by the end of June everyone had planned multiple weeks of holidays all over the place. Mixing with various other family groups in different places. I can't really throw stones for this one, we took the boys to futuroscope for 2 days.
I'm sure most people have been absolutely fine, but I do think some people have been careless. I also think that the huge compliance with mask wearing has lulled people into a false sense of security.
And that's before you factor in the young people a raves and secret parties etc.
DS3's godfather just tested positive. He lives in Paris, went to spend the summer with his partner's family in Marseille. All fine. Partner's brother went for dinner with his ex, spent the night with her, and she got symptoms and a positive test two days later. Two weeks later everyone in the house is positive. Brother and ex are mid 20s. Friend is 40, but his MIL is 62.
Anyway, it's all totally anecdotal, but I can't find any information here which actually identifies what's happened. The news are basically saying it's all irresponsible young people.