While a quack in the government’s communication leaves a doubt on the establishment of a curfew at Paris et en Ile-de-France, several voices are raised for a hardening of the confinement, considered too light and inefficient to fight against the epidemic of Covid-19.
The health situation is deteriorating in France with nearly 3,900 Covid-19 patients now hospitalized in intensive care or intensive care and more than 36,000 new cases recorded on Tuesday.
“A semi-confinement”
Several politicians are calling for stricter measures, such as Christian Estrosi, which castigates a semi-confinement in the columns of the Parisian. “People are in this paradox: the vast majority fear the epidemic and, at the same time, do not discipline themselves” says the mayor of Nice. “I see traffic jams on TV at the entrance to Paris, I see people in the public space who continue to walk around to get some fresh air. I understand this need, but it is precisely in this public space that we continue to transmit the virus. “ he adds.
Georges Méric, doctor and socialist president of the Haute-Garonne department, calls Emmanuel Macron to more firmness. According to him, this confinement will require more time than the announced date of December 1 to curb the epidemic. The doctor believes that, without strengthening the measures, there is a good chance that the French will spend the end of the year holidays confined to their homes.
Curfew in Paris?
Proof that the idea of a hardening germinates in the minds, the spokesman of the government Gabriel Attal, guest on BFM this Tuesday morning, announced bluntly that a curfew will soon be reinstated in Paris and “Maybe in Ile-de-France. » Matignon immediately reacted by indicating that this measure was “Absolutely not decided at this stage”.
But the idea of a curfew in Paris is nevertheless well on the table and will be “Examined during the defense council on Wednesday and put in place by the end of this week if adopted”, confides a close to the government.
This measure was requested by the Prefect of Police for two reasons, we read behind the scenes: “Firstly, because the rate of circulation of the virus is very high in the capital, with one person hospitalized every 15 minutes in Paris and secondly, because many dinners, nocturnal trips and clandestine parties are observed. “
Too many people outside
Unauthorized travel is in the sights of the authorities. Too many people would take advantage of the multiple exceptions to go all out. “There were 100,000 checks this weekend, 14,000 verbalizations. A certain number of verbalizations relate to people who moved when they did not have to do so, others for places which received people and should not do so. I have the example of a bar in Evry-Courcouronnes which welcomed customers for an evening ”, said Gabriel Attal.
Also targeted: certain companies that do not play the telecommuting game. The Parisian teaches us, for example, that even if the “Teleworking is the rule”, the group Total request ” necessary face-to-face collective working time ”. This instruction sets fire to the powder at the company’s headquarters in Paris, where 270 cases of Covid have been identified since September 1.
Containment in France is “Quite severe”
If the voices are raised for a hardening, according to Catherine Smallwood, responsible for emergency situations at WHO-Europe, confinement in France is “Quite severe”. She explains to our colleagues from the Parisian that if containment is the only measure taken, the virus will begin to circulate again as soon as it is lifted.
According to her, it is necessary to set up the test-trace-isolate as soon as the curve goes down again. “This strategy works when you have 20, 30, 40 new ones a day, not once the transmission of the virus takes off. The Asia Pacific got there. Of course, this system is expensive, but it is much less than closing an economy ” she concludes.
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