Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau in downtown Nantes (illustration) -

L. Venance / AFP

  • The virus is progressing in Pays-de-la-Loire but the region remains less affected than the national average.

  • The highest incidence rates are found in large cities, particularly Angers, Le Mans and Cholet.

Pays-de-la-Loire is now one of the rare regions not counting any department placed on “heightened alert” for the circulation of the coronavirus.

With an incidence rate of 59.1 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants and a positivity rate of 4.2%, the region remained this Thursday evening well below the national average (99.3 cases per 100,000 and 6.2% ), announces the regional health agency (ARS).

The departments most affected by contaminations are Loire-Atlantique, Maine-et-Loire and Sarthe, all three classified in “alert zone”, category 2 out of 4 of the new government classification.

Mayenne and Vendée are only classified as an “active traffic zone”.

None of these five is therefore, for the moment, concerned by the reductions in hours of bars, the closures of sports halls or the bans on gatherings beyond 10 people.

It goes up in the big cities

“We should not believe that, because our region appears under national indicators, we could afford to relax.

It is essential not to relax efforts, in particular in the private sphere, ”insists Jean-Jacques Coiplet, director of the regional health agency.

It must be said that the situation of large regional cities is more worrying.

The incidence rate of Angers has just reached 170 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, that of Le Mans amounts to 138, that of Cholet rises to 135. In Nantes metropolis, the incidence rate is stable around 100 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

At the same time, the number of hospitalizations for Covid-19 is also increasing, as is the number of patients in intensive care.

But there is not yet overloading hospitals.

Reinforced controls on the mask

In this context, the regional prefect, Didier Martin, announces reinforced controls concerning the wearing of masks in public spaces, in particular in bars and restaurants.

Three night establishments in the Nantes conurbation, suspected of not having complied with the rules, are also the subject of an administrative investigation and risk sanctions, says the prefect.

In addition, the mask will be compulsory from Saturday in Châteaubriant (Loire-Atlantique).

It was already in eight communes of this department.

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  • Covid 19

  • Coronavirus

  • Le Mans

  • Angers

  • Nantes

  • Health