PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron warned students on Thursday to expect COVID-19 restrictions to remain in place for much of the rest of the 2020/21 academic year.

Macron was meeting a group of students at the Paris Saclay university, to hear their complaints and concerns over issues raised by COVID restrictions, such as feelings of loneliness and hits to the economy that have impacted job prospects.

"We will have a second semester that will have the virus and a lot of constraints," Macron said.