As expected, the prefect of the Rhône announced on Monday new restrictive measures to fight against the resurgence of the coronavirus in Lyon.
But where other senior officials are closing bars and restaurants earlier in other departments, this is not the case this time around.
Tonnage of the public in the events lowered, reduced visits to the Ephad ... New restrictions were announced on Monday by the Rhône prefecture to fight against the resurgence of the coronavirus in this territory, in particular in Lyon.
A turn of the screw which is not isolated in France, since Nice, Marseille or even Toulouse have also implemented similar new measures.
However, where the other prefects have announced the early closure of bars and restaurants, this is not the case with Pascal Mailhot, prefect of the Rhône.
He justifies himself at the microphone of Europe 1.
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A bet"...
"We decided not to close the bars and restaurants considering that it was better for people to be in these establishments rather than on the public highway", points out the senior official.
A decision which takes the form of a "bet": that "the professionals of the sector manage to supervise their activity rather than leaving each one responsible for his behavior".
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... with reinforced controls
However, this choice is far from being a blank check, since "controls will be carried out in a much more sustained way in the next two weeks", ie the lifespan of the new measures announced on Monday, warns the prefect.
And to warn that in the event of breaches, he will not hesitate to demand the administrative closure of the establishments concerned.
"My goal is not to hit hard but to make people understand the cohabitation of two principles", adds Pascal Mailhot.
Namely, "to roll back the epidemic and preserve individual and collective activity as much as possible".
And if this "bet" turns out to be a failure, Pascal Mailhot has already announced that "more severe" measures would be taken.