Life resumes its course in New Caledonia, already out of confinement

• New Caledonia was spared by the Covid-19. Only 18 cases have been detected since the start of the epidemic, and again, these were imported cases.
• On April 16, the head of local government, Thierry Santa, announced that the country could enter adapted confinement from April 20. And this, for two weeks, the situation to be reassessed on May 3.
• Caledonians tell us about this return to an almost normal life.

An expected speech like that of the messiah. This Tuesday, the Prime Minister, Edouard Philippe, must present to the National Assembly the containment exit plan drawn up by the government, under the leadership of senior civil servant and mayor Jean Castex. Back to school, return to work, operation of public transport ... The French should know under what conditions they can live after May 11. In reality, not all French people, because a week ago already, New Caledonia became the first French territory to break out of strict confinement in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In this community "sui generis" (special status), it had been set up on March 23 by the local government, competent in health matters. However, in view of the few cases recorded in the archipelago of 271,000 inhabitants (18, all imported, and of which 17 are now cured), the government has decided to give back to the Caledonians their right "to the freedom to go and come ”starting Monday, April 20, for two weeks.

What does life after April 20 in the Pacific look like? If the party was a little spoiled by the weather (torrential rains that fell on the Caillou last week, preventing Caledonians from traveling safely on the roads, to go to work, in particular), life has really resumed its course Wednesday, when the students of the South province, which gathers 75% of the population, were able to return to class (in the Northern provinces, this will not be the case until May 4, in the islands Loyalty, from this April 27).

New Caledonia. Deconfinement, Day 1.
Dear diary, we are on red alert, heavy rain and thunderstorms. Since midnight, it's been raining and the country has woken up feet in the water, mouth in the ass. Submerged roads, landslides ... # RestonsChezNous (still a little) 😂 pic.twitter.com/bxg5ih7zmZ

No mask at school, classes divided into two groups

Concretely, and according to the plan organized by the vice-rector, each class has been divided into two groups (except for the classes which are already reduced in size), one group having lessons while the other is working at home. "The staff are responsible for educating students in barrier gestures, but the wearing of a mask is not compulsory", testifies to 20 Minutes Christophe O'Connor, associate professor of modern letters at the Lycée du Grand Nouméa. In the classes, the spaces between pupils have been adapted, in the canteens too, with markings on the ground, for example. Water points have been added.

Thursday, the day after the gradual resumption of classes, Isabelle Champmoreau, in charge of education in the government, drew up a first assessment, reported our colleagues from La1ère: "No absence of staff was noted. In the 101 public primary schools, 6 pupils on 10 answered on average, in public secondary [21 middle schools and 6 high schools], we noted 80% of average attendance. "However, disparities exist:" In Noumea, there is a rate of 70% of average presence, which is 40% in Thio [commune located 120 km more, on the east coast of Grande Terre]. "For Christophe O'Connor, this resumption of classes consists" especially of daycare. And the sanitary measures are quite symbolic, and certainly not effective, at least in my establishment. "Not enough to destabilize the professor, whose first activity of the weekend, Saturday, was" to go [s] e to cut the tifs! "

A big party with the neighbors, a swim in the sea

Joseph Alaimo, a very young retiree who lives in Koné, the capital of the northern province, took advantage of a good deconfinement party organized by his neighbor. "We were not 50 [gatherings beyond are prohibited], but I can tell you that there was a good atmosphere", he smiles, adding, bravely, having "eaten Covid-19". Clearly, he bought himself a piece of dogfish, a local species of bat, yet protected (!). 

▶ ️First day of #Decontainment partially in New Caledonia: reopening of shops, gradual return of students but no total resumption of public and air transport. https://t.co/wAFrFcYJ8E pic.twitter.com/hBDs9fd4AU

Hairdressers, restaurants, hotels, municipal services, etc. Many establishments and businesses were able to welcome customers again. But the framework set by the government prohibits at this stage the reopening of bars, cinemas, nightclubs, nakamals (place where we drink kava, traditional drink of Oceania) or bingos, establishments very popular with Caledonians where they can play a game of chance corresponding to the lotto. What Mathilde did not miss in the least: "Me, I had only one desire, it was to take my bike and go to bathe in the sea", told us this young woman who studies in Noumea. And it was not the only one to take advantage of the 4 km of public beach available to the capital of the southern province. While some took the opportunity to go fishing or picnicking, others went to the islets, reports this article from La1ere.

Our file on containment

On May 3, the situation must be reassessed. In the meantime, and beyond, Joseph Alaimo promises to respect barrier gestures: "In any case, people have been reasonable from the start, they are disciplined because they know that when the authorities ask them to be careful , it is for a good reason. When there are cyclones, we know that we must not go out. With the Covid-19, we knew we shouldn't get close to each other. In addition, since we didn't have a mask, and we still don't know who is contagious, we managed. Even if there is this deconfinement, we must remain cautious. "

Society

Coronavirus: Blocked in metropolitan France by containment, Polynesians claim return flights

Society

Coronavirus: "There will be financial aid for overseas students," says Annick Girardin

• Deconfinement
• New Caledonia
• Job
• Covid 19
• Confinement
• Health
• Society
• Video
• Education
• Coronavirus
• Overseas