Paris (AFP)

France is approaching its last cloistered weekend on Friday, preparing for a very gradual deconfinement from Monday, with the dread of a second wave of the coronavirus epidemic which has already killed nearly 26,000 people.

After two months of globally respected confinement throughout the territory, which allowed a clear decline in the pandemic, "France is divided in two," Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, accompanied by numerous ministers, said on Thursday. 'a press conference in Matignon.

According to the last official report, published Thursday evening by the Directorate General of Health (DGS), the virus has caused 25,987 deaths since March 1, or 178 more in the last 24 hours, including 9,601 in medico-social establishments and the Ehpad (+29).

The pressure on resuscitation services continues to ease, with 186 fewer Covid-19 patients. The total thus falls for the first time under the bar of 3,000 patients in these services, to 2,961.

- "Many obligations" -

Given that the virus is still circulating and that the tension and the risk of saturation in hospitals require it, four regions (Ile-de-France, Hauts-de-France, Grand Est and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté) remain classified as red, as well as the department of Mayotte, where the deconfinement is even postponed beyond May 11.

This places 32 departments in total and nearly 27 million inhabitants in a still very controlled confinement.

The rest of the country turns green on the map. But even in these regions, the beaches will remain closed with reopening on a case-by-case basis, with the authorization of the prefects.

France "is ready to massively test" people with symptoms of coronavirus as well as those with whom they have been in contact, assured Friday the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran.

While loosening the noose, the government maintains or introduces many obligations: masks in public transport under penalty of 135 euros fine; certificates required from the employer for trips during rush hour in transport in Ile-de-France; creation of a new certificate justifying a "compelling professional or family motive" for trips over 100 km from his home as the crow flies, said for his part the Minister of the Interior Christophe Castaner.

On the economic level, as of Monday, "400,000 companies representing 875,000 jobs will reopen", detailed the Minister of Economy, Bruno Le Maire, citing hair salons, clothing stores, florists and bookstores.

- "Spirit of responsibility" -

Shopping centers larger than 40,000 square meters will be able to reopen, except in Ile-de-France, where Mr. Véran asked businesses "to use telework as much as possible" and residents to limit their trips to what is strictly necessary.

And according to the Minister of National Education, Jean-Michel Blanquer, "a million children" will resume on Tuesday the way to school, in "80% to 85%" of the 50,500 establishments in the country.

The government also does not provide for "additional flexibility" in the nursing homes and asks "the elderly and vulnerable to limit their outings and their contacts to the strict minimum", insisted Mr. Véran who calls for "the spirit of responsibility of each for the good of all ".

The executive is playing big. Emmanuel Macron's confidence rating drops by five points (34% of French respondents trust him) and that of Edouard Philippe crumbles by two points (34%), according to a monthly Elabe poll released on Thursday.

On the economic front, the signals are always more worrying: 453,800 jobs were destroyed in the first quarter in the private sector, a drop of 2.3% in the number of jobs compared to the previous quarter, according to a provisional estimate of l 'Insee.

© 2020 AFP