- A public meeting was organized in Aix-en-Provence, near the site where Wuhan returnees who have fled the coronavirus epidemic are confined.
- Local residents and employees in the sector fear for their health and safety.
- State officials, however, attempted to end the psychosis, not without difficulty.
"It's been psychosis since Sunday in the village," says Mirianne with a certain anxiety. This Aixoise lives in the Milles district, which everyone here calls "the village", not far from the activity area of the same name where several businesses are located. The usual relative tranquility of the place was disrupted this weekend by an unusual ballet from CRS, journalists and ministers, close to Mirianne's home.
It is indeed there, in this area away from the city center of Aix-en-Provence, in the Bouches-du-Rhône, that the government decided to place this Sunday in quarantine 76 French and foreign nationals , including six minors and four pregnant women, who fled the coronavirus epidemic in the Wuhan region of China. The State requisitioned for the occasion the National Superior School of Firefighting Officers (Ensops) in the sector, in which these returnees will be confined for fourteen days.
This Tuesday, at the request of the mayor LR of Aix-en-Provence and candidate for his succession, Maryse Joissains, not frankly reassured by the situation, a public meeting with the authorities was organized in the morning at the Espace des Winemakers, an amphitheater near Ensops.
With a watchword: reassure residents, not always the most serene in the face of these returnees who, even if they have not been diagnosed with coronavirus, are scary. Faced, too, with this disease of which little is known, except that it has caused to date the death of 427 people in the world.
"The problem in our country is the flu, not the coronavirus"
From the start of his remarks, the prefect of Bouches-du-Rhône Pierre Dartout also assured that teams have gone in recent days to meet the residents of the site to calm concerns and answer questions. "You can consider that the risk for the surrounding populations is zero, abounds for his part Philippe de Mester, director general of ARS Paca. It is important to repeat it. "
And to launch: “The problem currently in our country is not the coronavirus. It is the flu that kills 10,000 a year with far too low vaccination coverage. The real problem in hospitals is the flu, which will kill many people. The coronavirus will certainly not do any! "And to specify however:" however, quarantine remains necessary because the coronavirus is a new virus, of which we do not know the characteristics ... "
"You can reassure your employees, but, above all, they don't come near! "
"We are in a company right next to Ensiops," says Véronique Guimbal, administrative manager of the small company Hélicoptères Guimbal next to Ensops. We did not have a state visit and our employees were really worried because they learned the news from the press. Friday, they wanted to use their right of withdrawal. It is very difficult for us. Human resources phoned the prefect and the town hall but had no information. What preventive measures should we put in place for our employees? Because today they are worried! "
"We would need a list, in conjunction with the town hall, of businesses and residents around, so that they receive a visit as quickly as possible," claims the prefect of Bouches-du-Rhône Pierre Dartout. You can reassure your employees. But above all, that they do not approach! "
Local residents not frankly reassured
"I do not find your explanations clear, and even sometimes contradictory, launches a resident in the room. You say that it is a virus that we do not know at all and you say with certainty that there is no contamination. You say you went to see the residents and that is not the case. You say that there is no risk but that you should not approach! That puts doubts ... "" These are not, madam, contradictions, retorts Philippe de Mester. These are maximum preventive and precautionary measures! "
"I am not really reassured, sighs, at the end of the meeting, Inès, a mother living near the site who regrets that she too has not received a visit from the State at her home. We learn everything on Facebook: the arrival of these people in the Miles, this public meeting ... It's not normal. And they have a contradictory speech. They lie to each other, saying that they have visited the residents, which is not true ... So it is not very reassuring. "
"At the time of Chernobyl, we were told that it would do nothing"
"At the time of Chernobyl, we were told that it would do nothing, and we saw what the cloud did, plague Frederick, another resident. It has already happened in the past that the State lies to us ... "" They tried to be reassuring, but, on certain points, I feel them mixed, estimates Sabrina. I don't think they have all the information… ”
According to statements by the prefect of Bouches-du-Rhône, a new public meeting will be held Monday evening in Aix-en-Provence, while another will be organized this Friday in Carry-le-Rouet where 224 nationals currently live. Wuhan French placed this Friday and this Sunday in quarantine in a holiday center. The prefect also undertook that all residents of the site will be visited as soon as possible.
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