The Val-d’Oise prefecture is adopting stricter measures than the rest of the territory by imposing the wearing of a mask in public space in 76 of its municipalities. Respect for barrier gestures, as well as the resumption of the vaccination campaign for the booster dose, again appear to be the best means of slowing down the epidemic which has been intensifying for a month.
Almost half of the Val-d’Oisian municipalities are now subject to wearing a mask outside, by prefectural decision. It is compulsory between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m., for anyone aged 11 and over, living in cities with more than 10,000 inhabitants, as well as those bordering on 5,000 inhabitants, until February 20, 2022. Due to their nearby, other municipalities in the department are also concerned: Boisemont, Puiseux-Pontoise, Neuville-sur-Oise, Ennery, Valmondois, Butry-sur-Oise, Mours, Nointel, La Frette-sur-Seine, Frepillon, Montlignon, Andilly , Margency, Piscop, Moisselles, Bonneuil-en-France, Le Thillay, Vaudherland, Roissy-en-France and Seugy.
Mapping of the municipalities where wearing a mask is compulsory outdoors, by prefectural decision of 26/11/2021. ©Prefecture
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Respect for barrier gestures is once again put in the forefront as “effective way to fight this pandemic”, considers the prefecture. The administration thus reinforces the national strategy which has already opted for the return of the mask in structures open to the public, such as bars, restaurants and cultural venues. It is still compulsory to wear it on public transport, around schools and places of worship, as well as at events and gatherings organized in public spaces.
“The health situation in Val-d’Oise is deteriorating sharply”, justifies in this sense the prefecture since mid-November. And for good reason, the incidence rate there is 260 per 100,000 inhabitants, four times higher than a month ago. This corresponds to 2,550 new cases tested positive per week. This acceleration in the circulation of the virus directly impacts the hospital and school sectors. To date, 43.2% of intensive care beds are occupied by patients with Covid-19, state services indicate. Similarly, in schools, where wearing a mask becomes compulsory in playgrounds from CP, 326 classes have had to close their doors over the last ten days.
11 vaccination centers in Val-d’Oise
The state and the prefecture are also counting on vaccination to slow down this “fifth wave”, as Olivier Véran, Minister of Health, qualified it during his speech last Wednesday. People over the age of 18 are now encouraged to get a third dose injected now. The health pass will be conditioned to this booster dose and will no longer be active “after a period of seven months following the second injection”, from December 15 for those over 65, from January 15 for others.
The inhabitants of Val-d’Oise are therefore invited to go to one of the ten centers in the departments currently open (Enghien-les-bains, Saint-Brice-sous-Forêt, Sarcelles, Villiers-le-Bel, Viarmes , Persian, Magny-en-Vexin, Sannois, Argenteuil and Taverny). In Cergy, another will open its doors in the premises of the old ice rink, on the forecourt of the prefecture, from December 1. “The capacity of these centers will soon be 60,000 injections per week, compared to 30,000 currently”, indicates the prefecture which offers the population to be vaccinated also in pharmacies or city medicine. With the approach of the end of the year holidays, “vaccination operations without appointment in the main shopping centers will be carried out every weekend”, she adds.
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