News of the week:

• Coronavirus: the epidemic becomes a pandemic [spp-timestamp time="00:00:42″]
• Italy, the first country to quarantine its entire population [spp-timestamp time="00:01:18″]
• Clashes in Italian prisons [spp-timestamp time="00:02:26″]
• Coronavirus: an update on the situation in Europe [spp-timestamp time="00:02:52″]
• Trump bans Europeans from entering the U.S. [spp-timestamp time="00:03:59″]
• Explanation of the week's vocabulary [spp-timestamp time="00:04:34″]

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Transcription

Hello,

Welcome to HelloFrench's press review, the podcast that immerses you in the news of the week, to help you improve your French.

On the front page for this week of March 8-14, 2020:

• The coronavirus epidemic is becoming a pandemic.
• Italy, the first country to place its entire population under quarantine.
• Clashes in Italian prisons: 7 prisoners lost their lives and dozens escaped.
• Still on the coronavirus, the situation in Europe.
• In the United States, Trump bans Europeans from entering the country.

It's official: the [tooltips keyword= "épidémie " content= "epidemic "] coronavirus has become a [tooltips keyword= "pandémie " content= "pandemic "]. The virus is now a worldwide [tooltips keyword="sanitaire" content="sanitary"] problem. To date, more than 150,000 people have been [tooltips keyword="contaminated " content="contaminated"] in 137 countries. The virus has killed almost 5,800 people worldwide. Apart from China, the worst-hit country is Italy with 1,441 deaths, followed by Iran with 611, Spain with 183 and France with 91.

An update on the situation in Italy. The health crisis caused by the coronavirus has only worsened this week. On Sunday March 8, the government decided to quarantine only certain northern regions, including Milan and Venice. Other measures had also been taken to try to [tooltips keyword="slow down" content="to slow down"] contamination, such as the closure of museums, theaters, cinemas, schools and libraries throughout Italy. A little over 24 hours later, a new decision was taken: all 60 million Italians are now [tooltips keyword="mis en quarantaine" content="quarantined"] until April 3. Italians can only travel to work, go to the chemist or buy food. No other [tooltips keyword="déplacement" content="displacement"] is allowed, under penalty of a 206 euro fine and 3 months in prison. The streets are now deserted in Italy, and the Vatican has just announced that the [tooltips keyword="Pape" content="pope"] will celebrate Easter without any [tooltips keyword="fidèle" content="worshipper"]. A first.

Against the backdrop of the coronavirus epidemic, [tooltips keyword="mutinies " content="rebellion"] broke out in 27 [tooltips keyword="prisons " content="jail"] Italian prisons. The riots began after the decision to suspend family visits, to avoid bringing the virus into the prisons. The mutinies resulted in the death of at least ten [tooltips keyword="inmate" content="inmate"] and dozens [tooltips keyword="escape" content="escape"], including 50 from Foggia prison. While some have been caught, others are still [tooltips keyword="en cavale" content="on the run"].

Elsewhere in Europe, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia have closed their borders to virtually all [tooltips keyword="foreigners" content= "foreigners" ]. Spain, the second most affected country in Europe, announced on Saturday that it had placed the country under virtual quarantine. Spaniards, too, can now only go out to buy food, go to work or go to the chemist. France is also slowly following the same path. At the beginning of the week, gatherings of up to 1,000 people were banned, before being reduced to those of over 100. The government then decided to close crèches, schools and universities. In a speech on Thursday evening, the President encouraged those who could to [tooltips keyword="telework" content= "remote" ] to avoid having to travel. A decision more [tooltips keyword="radical" content= "radical solution" ] finally came down on Saturday night: at midnight, bars, restaurants and theaters [tooltips keyword="close their doors" content= "close" ] [tooltips keyword="until further notice" content= "until further notice" ]. Only supermarkets, pharmacies and tobacconists are now open. The first round of municipal elections on Sunday has been maintained.

In the United States, Donald Trump has decided to [tooltips keyword="close its borders" content="to close its border" to Europeans. The President has suspended all flights between Europe and the United States for 30 days. Only Americans staying in Europe and Britons are not affected by the measure. Some travelers therefore [tooltips keyword="précipités " content= "to rush" ] to catch a plane before the ban came into effect at 5am on Saturday.

Vocabulary of the week

Enrich your French vocabulary, download our list of key words for the week of March 8-14, 2020.

■ Epidemic: is a contagious disease, which can be caught, that spreads through the population, among people, usually in an area.

■ Pandemic: this is an epidemic that affects a very large number of people. The disease has begun to spread around the world.

■ The virus: it is a disease that spreads, spreads.

■ Sanitary (adjective): it is related to the health of people, the health of humans.

■ To contaminate/be contaminated: to transmit a disease to someone, to have caught a disease.

■ Contamination: this is the act of having caught a disease.

■ Quarantine: separating people from other people, preventing them from going to other places. Usually, this is to prevent a disease from spreading.

■ To slow down (verb): to make slower, to make it go slower.

■ Moving: going from one place to another, moving around.

■ Deserted (adjective): without people, empty.

■ Celebrate: to celebrate an event, a date, a birthday.

■ The Pope: the leader of Catholics. He heads the state of the Vatican.

■ The faithful: a person who believes in a religion, practices a religion, believes in God.

■ Mutiny: a riot, revolt, rebellion.

■ Prison: this is an institution where people who have been found guilty are locked up.

■ Inmate: is a prisoner, someone who is in jail, a person in custody.

■ Escape: to take flight, to leave, to escape.

■ To be on the run: to run away, to escape from prison.

■ Closing its borders: preventing some or all nationalities from entering a country.

■ Foreigner: someone who is not of our nationality, a person who comes from another country than ours.

■ Telecommuting: working remotely instead of in the office. Working from home instead of going into the office.

■ Radical (adjective): harder than normal, more effective.

■ Closing down: shutting down a business permanently or for an extended period.

■ Until further notice: until there is a new decision, until the person with authority gives us a new indication.

■ To suspend (verb): to stop, interrupt for a while.

■ To rush (verb): to hurry to do something or go somewhere, to act quickly.