France plans to extend night curfew in some regions

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

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

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

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

Yet he acknowledged that the country's approach to vaccinate first people in nursing homes and get written consent from them or from their family slow down the process.