To avoid a second wave, the government has decided to make it mandatory to wear a mask in enclosed spaces starting next week and to carry out mass screening campaigns. - gue

  • The circulation of the coronavirus in France seems to be accelerating in recent days.
  • Several new sources of contamination have been identified and new cases of contamination are on the rise in several departments.
  • A significant increase that pushes the government to accelerate the obligation to wear a mask in enclosed spaces to avoid a second wave at the start of summer.

Doubling of new Covid-19 cases in Marseille. Alert threshold exceeded in Mayenne. And signals of resumption of the epidemic in hospitals in Ile-de-France. Two months after the gradual lifting of containment, the coronavirus is gaining ground again in France.

If the Scientific Council has alerted in recent weeks about the risks of a second wave of coronavirus in France at the start of the new school year, the fear that it will surge now is growing. This is why the government, which had already planned to make the wearing of masks compulsory in enclosed places from August 1, is accelerating and will make the measure effective as of next week in the territory, and now in Mayenne. But will that be enough to prevent an outbreak of the epidemic?

Increased circulation of the virus

In its latest weekly epidemiological bulletin, the public health agency France public health notes a "tendency to increase circulation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus". For the moment, the overall viral circulation remains "at a low level", except in certain places like in Mayenne, where the health agency notes an "increase in the number of new cases and in the positivity rates of the samples".

One of the indicators monitored is the famous "effective R", that is to say the number of people infected by a patient. While it has been less than 1 at the national level in recent weeks, this number, based on positive virological tests, has risen above this bar in mainland France. Less than two weeks ago, "in mainland France, this R was 1.05, slightly higher than 1, and up on the previous week, which points in the direction of an increasing trend of the circulation of the virus, ”said Sophie Vaux, of Public Health France (SpF). If on average a patient infects less than one person, the epidemic decreases. If it infects two (R = 2), the epidemic spreads, if it infects one (R = 1), the epidemic continues, she explains. In addition, "we have an increasing trend in the numbers of new confirmed cases, but which remains moderate," she adds. "We are not talking about an explosion of cases, but there is a thrill that calls for vigilance."

A thrill also observed in the neighboring region, in Brittany, where 110 new cases have been recorded. But also in Ile-de-France. "We are witnessing in some Parisian hospitals weak signals of epidemic recovery, this is why I ask the French to remain particularly vigilant, active, against the virus", warned this Thursday the Minister of Health Olivier Véran on France Inter , who no longer "wants to confine the country". These are indicators "not worrying, but of particular attention" of recovery, such as the number of calls to SOS Doctors, Samu and hospital admissions, he detailed. Same observation in Marseille, where doctors say they have observed "for ten days a doubling of the number of positive cases every two days". And in Aquitaine, the Regional Health Agency is alerting to "a worrying development of the epidemic", with ten or so epidemic foci identified.

Speeding up the obligation to wear a mask in confined spaces

Faced with this increase in new cases of Covid-19 and to avoid a second wave, the government has decided to make the wearing of masks mandatory in enclosed spaces as of August 1. Before accelerating the pace again this Wednesday. During his general policy speech before the Senate on Thursday, Prime Minister Jean Castex announced that the decree making the wearing of the mask mandatory would finally come into force "as of next week".

On the compulsory wearing of masks in closed public spaces originally planned for August 1, @JeanCASTEX announces: "I heard and understood that this deadline appeared late or raised some questions. The decree will therefore come into force the week next. " pic.twitter.com/494cEeospF

- Senate (@Senat) July 16, 2020

But already, the government has asked the prefect of Mayenne to put in place "the obligation to wear a mask" in closed public places "without waiting," said Thursday the Minister of Health Olivier Véran. As of Wednesday, Jean-Francis Treffel, prefect of Mayenne, signed an order with immediate effect making it compulsory to wear a mask in enclosed public places in six communes in the department, including Laval, announced the prefecture on Thursday.

Massive screening campaigns

In order not to miss out on new clusters, massive screening campaigns have been launched, particularly in areas where the virus is more actively circulating. In Mayenne, "we are massively increasing the capacity for on-site testing", with four drive-tests in Laval accessible to everyone "even without a prescription," said the Minister of Health.

Olivier Véran also claimed to have sent "1.5 million diagnostic prescriptions" to the Ile-de-France region, and authorized laboratory technicians to take samples to cope with the increase in requests. "There are a large number of Ile-de-France residents who want to go on vacation and who want to be tested before leaving, which means that there is a massive influx of people who have wanted to access the laboratories for a few days", underlined Olivier Véran. There is therefore a "need for human resources, of arms, to make as many PCR tests (by swabs) as there are requests". Roissy Airport is particularly capable of carrying up to "2,000 people per day," he says. And on their vacation spots, the French, "wherever they are, will have the opportunity to be tested", assured the Minister, who prefers "to convince" to make exams than to "compel".

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