France plans to extend COVID state of emergency until next summer

France plans to extend the state of emergency until next year's summer to deal with the continuing coronavirus epidemic, government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on Wednesday.

"What we will propose to the parliament is to maintain for several more months, until the summer, the possibility of using it", Attal told reporters after a cabinet when asked about the state of emergency and use of a health pass to gain access to venues such as restaurants, bars and cinemas.

This would mean that the government would keep the power to extend or reinstate restrictive measures such as lockdowns, limits on crowd movements and the health pass that currently is required until Nov. 15.