France plans to extend night curfew in some regions

French Health Minister Olivier Veran said authorities were planning to extend country's night curfew in regions where virus is circulating more, mostly in eastern France near border with Germany, Switzerland and Italy.

Veran, speaking on France 2 television channel on Tuesday, ruled out any national or local lock down in coming days. extended curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. will apply from January 2 "where it's needed," he said.

In or regions, curfew in place since mid-December will be maintained from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Restaurants and bars will remain closed at least until January 20.

Veran also justified slow start of France's vaccination campaign as a few dozen people have been vaccinated in country since Sunday - to compare with at least 18,000 people in neighbouring Germany.

Veran said France has same number of vaccine doses as Germany in proportion to its population and will get "same results".

Yet he ackwledged that country's approach to vaccinate first people in nursing homes and get written consent from m or from ir family slow down process.