The Bouches-du-Rhône prefecture decided on August 25 to limit the opening of bars to 11 p.m. to limit the spread of the virus.
The closing time was pushed back to 00:30 by the prefect on Saturday, a decision welcomed by the mayor of Marseille, Michèle Rubirola.
Bars and restaurants close at 12:30 a.m. instead of 11 p.m., but a mask is compulsory in all urbanized areas of the department: the prefect of Bouches-du-Rhône announced on Saturday the adaptation of the anti-covid measures taken in August, in view of the evolution of the epidemic.
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These measures apply until September 30, and were taken in consultation with the Regional Health Agency (ARS), assures the prefecture in a press release, taking into account that "the virus is still actively circulating in the Bouches department -du-Rhône ".
The mayor of Marseille welcomes this decision
Many restaurateurs, supported by elected officials, demanded a later closure of bars, whose prefecture had decided on August 25 to limit the opening to 11 p.m. to limit the spread of the virus.
The mayor of Marseille, Michèle Rubirola (EELV), then denounced decisions taken "without consultation" by the government and a "double standard" in relation to Paris.
In a statement published on Saturday, the mayor of Marseille, welcomed the relaxation announced, according to her "a need to preserve the economic life of these establishments and allow Marseillaises and Marseillais to return to normal life".
The president of the departmental council Martine Vassal (LR), she also welcomed a measure "eagerly awaited by the local economic fabric, particularly the traders primarily concerned such as restaurateurs and cafetiers, grocers", who "continue to be severely impacted by the health crisis ".
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Wearing the compulsory extended mask
On the other hand, the wearing of the obligatory mask, until now reserved for large agglomerations such as Aix-en-Provence and Marseille, or for very touristic municipalities, is extended to all “urbanized or agglomerated” areas, ie the “part of the town delimited by localization panels announcing the entry and exit of an urban area ", specifies the prefecture.