All beaches in Bouches-du-Rhône remain closed for the time being. - Fabien Dupoux / SIPA

  • The prefect of Bouches-du-Rhône, Pierre Dartout has not authorized the reopening by derogation of certain beaches in the department.
  • The prefect of the neighboring department of Var, Jean-Luc Vidaine, has authorized the reopening of 76 beaches.
  • There are disparities between the different municipalities, the city of Marseille does not want a reopening before June 2, when the city of Cassis hopes for May 25.

Obliged to take the car to go to the beach. The inhabitants of Bouches-du-Rhône still cannot take advantage of the beaches of the department, despite the government's decision to leave the choice to the prefect to decide to open by derogation since the start of deconfinement. The prefect of Bouches-du-Rhône, Pierre Dartout, has not taken any derogatory order in this sense on the eve of the first weekend of deconfinement. From Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, in the west, to La Ciotat, in the east, no Bouches-du-Rhône beach is accessible.

For the inhabitants of La Ciotat, all they have to do is drive a few kilometers and reach the neighboring department of Var to take advantage of the Lecques beach in Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer. The prefect of Var, Jean-Luc Vidaine, has authorized since Saturday morning the reopening of 76 beaches, after validating the proposals for reopening plan tabled by the mayors. Access to the beach and the practice of nautical activities are possible from 8h to 18h on these beaches, with some variations. It is for example possible to put your towel on some beaches, on others swimming, only, is allowed, while elsewhere it is sometimes forbidden to be static.

Marseille on June 2

In Marseille, the beaches will not reopen before June 2, the mayor of Marseille Jean-Claude Gaudin has simply not asked for a special opening. However, he announced on May 7 at the microphone of La Provence to be in favor of a request to reopen as soon as possible. "The mayor of Marseille has agreed with the state services for a reopening of the beaches on June 2," said the mayor of Marseille 20 minutes . The date of June 2 corresponds to the government's announcements on the second phase of deconfinement.

# Covid_19 | As had been announced, Jean-Luc Videlaine, prefect of #Var, ruled, this Friday, May 15, 2020, on the requests for exemptions, made by the mayors, to the general principle of closing #plages. Info on https://t.co/S9htDOPxAx pic.twitter.com/6hPJSTkmXA

- Prefect of Var (@ Prefet83) May 15, 2020

For the assistant to the beaches at the town hall of Marseille, Didier Réault, "the physiognomy of the city's beaches has too many disparities, it is difficult to harmonize safety measures on all of the beaches". Regarding the Calanques National Park, of which Didier Réault is the president, if it was accessible for lack of an order made by the prefect to prohibit its access, nautical activities, as on land, are now officially prohibited there since Friday.

Harmonization of dates

On the Cassis side, the security system is already planned by Danielle Millon, the mayor of the town. “We cannot set up a dynamic range as is the case elsewhere because of the too small size of our beaches. I proposed an organization that corresponds more to southern habits with a breakdown of the day by three-hour time slot. Families with children will have priority over the waterfront, with chosen locations symbolized by colored flags for each person. A rollover would thus be operated, with a quarter of an hour of beat. The day before compliance with the instructions will be carried out either by municipal employees, police and lifeguards who will crisscross the beach, ”she explains.

If everything seems ready to ensure safety on the beaches of Cassis, Danielle Millon does not want a reopening before May 25: "the Ascension weekend worries us," she admits. The prefect of Bouches-du-Rhône would nevertheless like to harmonize the opening dates of the different municipalities, which does not seem to be the case as the examples of Marseille and Cassis show.

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  • Coronavirus
  • Covid 19
  • Prefect
  • Marseille
  • Deconfinement
  • Beach
  • Society