"The top priority today is to protect the most vulnerable" from coronavirus contamination, Emmanuel Macron said on Friday. The president who was visiting a retirement home in the 13th arrondissement of Paris called in particular to "limit visits to the maximum" to seniors.
"Right now our absolute priority is to protect the people who are most vulnerable to the virus", "people who have other pathologies", "destitute people, homeless, living in extreme poverty ", as well as" our elders, "he said after meeting the nursing staff and residents of this accommodation facility for dependent elderly people (Ehpad) Péan. The elderly are the most vulnerable to the contamination that affected 423 people and left seven dead, all over the age of 60, since January in France, according to an assessment made Thursday evening.
"Common sense measures to be respected everywhere on the territory"
"The nation is behind our elders (....) during this epidemic, we must first limit visits to the maximum," insisted Emmanuel Macron, asking in particular that "the youngest not be part of these visits because, as we know today, they transmit a lot of viruses. " "I know that it is sometimes a heartbreaker," said the head of state, declining "common sense measures to be respected throughout the territory".
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"Anyone entering Ehpad must take this precaution to wash their hands with soap, hydro gel, not to shake hands, not to touch and to be very vigilant", he continued, adding: " It is also recommended to all those who work in nursing homes, when they are carrying the virus or there is a suspicion, rather not to come to work ".
The Head of State also took the opportunity to call on everyone's "spirit of responsibility" but also not to give in to "panic" because "we are going to face this epidemic over time. I don't know about you give the precise duration but there will certainly be several weeks in this situation. "