The health protocol put in place allows restaurants to remain open under certain conditions in Paris and in the inner suburbs.

However, bars must close for 15 days.

In his health column on Europe 1, Doctor Jimmy Mohamed considers these new measures ineffective.

EDITORIAL

>> Since Tuesday, bars in Paris and the inner suburbs have been forced to close their doors in an attempt to stem the coronavirus epidemic.

Restaurants, on the other hand, can remain open, provided that a stricter health protocol is respected, in particular by keeping a census record, wearing the obligatory mask between dishes or limiting the number of covers.

For Doctor Jimmy Mohamed, health consultant at Europe 1, if the first decision is the right one, the second is not necessarily adequate.

“The decision to close the bars in Paris was unfortunately logical. If it leaves professionals in turmoil, it highlights the fact that these were extremely contagious areas: according to a recent study, there are four times more risk of contracting the coronavirus in a bar than elsewhere.

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As far as restaurants are concerned, things are a bit more complicated.

The protocol is drastic: wearing a mask compulsory except at the time of consumption, freezing at the table, payment at the table, incentive to book, compulsory seated consumption, no more than six people around the same table, one meter between each chair and then a reminder book.

In the digital age, we are forced to use handwriting while the StopCovid application has the same purpose.

Problem, none of these measures will allow control of the epidemic.

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Are we on the wrong target?

It should not be forgotten that it is mainly the aerosol contamination that poses a problem.

The only effective measures would have been the closure, the restriction of the number of people in a restaurant, the increase of distances.

Above all, we should have looked at the ventilation systems which, for the moment, constitute a huge blind spot.

The current protocol gives the impression that restaurants must be controlled in order to control the epidemic and that the entire epidemic is the fault of restaurateurs and restaurants… Which is of course not the case.

To control the epidemic, we must control our behavior and go to restaurants in a safe way.

We may be on the wrong target or, at least, delivering the wrong message.

Regarding universities, the problem is the same.

We have set a gauge in the maximum alert zones: a limit of 50% of the reception capacities in the amphitheatres.

But this measure will not change anything if students continue to meet in apartments and party.

They will continue to get sick. 

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Holes in the racket

There is the law and the spirit of the law.

Since July, we have been piling up health measures, the protocol has been reinforced.

However, there are holes in the racket and we cannot.

We now have the impression that the virus is inevitable. 

However, our European neighbors are doing much better.

The Italians count five times less contamination than us, and the Germans seven times less.

It is therefore possible to improve things by changing our behavior without waiting for restrictive measures which will unfortunately end up being more and more severe.

We may end up with an economic and health catastrophe. "