French citizens will soon be able to declare their reason for leaving the house during the coronavirus lockdown via an online form, Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said on Thursday.
The news will come as a relief to the many people without a printer at home, who have so far been obliged to copy out the lengthy declaration form, including wordy legal citations, by hand.
Citizens without printers have also been warned that they cannot copy out the form once and then sign and date it in pencil for re-use on subsequent outings: everything must be written in ink.
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Officials had initially said online versions would be acceptable when the lockdown came into force on March 17, but then backtracked and insisted that everyone had to have a printed or handwritten version.
Castaner told newspaper Le Parisien that the online form would generate a QR code that police patrols could scan without having to risk contagion by handling phones.
It would also be more secure than some privately developed apps that initially offered online forms, as there was no risk of data theft, he said.
The new form will be available from Monday, Castaner said.
Under France’s lockdown rules, citizens can only leave their homes for a small number of reasons including work, shopping for essential goods, childcare arrangements, medical appointments, and limited exercise on their own near their house.