Roubaix organized a massive screening campaign on Monday which will be followed by sequencing for positive cases in order to track down the possible presence of the British variant of Covid-19.

The Regional Health Agency hopes to test between 10,000 and 30,000 inhabitants during the week but the influx has had its ups and downs.  

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Roubaisiens do not all seem won over by the idea of ​​mass screening.

While a massive screening, which is due to end on Saturday, began on Monday, the first day saw a roller-coaster ride.

The stated objective is to identify positive cases and in particular those carrying the English variants of the coronavirus.

The Regional Health Agency announced Monday that two cases of this variant had been confirmed Sunday in Lille but did not cause concern.

The authorities hope to test up to 30% of residents, but reluctance is palpable.

An unequal attendance depending on the location

The operation started gradually and saw peaks in attendance at the start of the morning and at the end of the day.

But there have also been periods of lows.

Lunchtime was particularly quiet and some nurses were forced to twiddle their thumbs.

In the Richard Lejeune room, one of the six made available by the town hall, the crowd was low on Monday morning.

Around 11 am, no participant had yet been directed to the space dedicated to "contact tracing" of positive cases.

However, a strong disparity could be felt according to the places. 

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Salle Wattremez, on the other hand, there was indeed a continuous flow of people.

Among them, Pascal, who was awaiting his result.

"I am in Roubaix for a while, I come from Mayotte and it is true that in Mayotte, there is no confinement. We are a bit on top of each other. It reassures me a little here about do the tests to confirm that I don't have it. "

The fear of the British variant has motivated more than one.

"It's scary and that's why I'm here today," says Abdelhafid Benmimoun, a 42-year-old private driver.

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Strong reluctance to screen

The Regional Health Agency hopes to test between 10 and 30% of the population, or around 10,000 to 30,000 inhabitants by the end of the week.

But for many Roubaisiens, screening is out of the question.

"For the moment, I have no symptoms. I do not see why I am going to bother these people when I have no symptoms," explains a resident.

"It's no use. I don't see the point."

A reluctance already felt during previous similar operations in Le Havre and Charleville-Mézières, where attendance reached only 10 and 20% of the population respectively. 

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Others explain that they want to be vaccinated rather than having a swab in their nose.

So, Philippe Froguel, geneticist at the CHU De Lille, has arguments to try to convince them and launches an appeal to the population.

"Come on because if you don't do anything and things go wrong, there will be a 6:00 p.m. curfew. It's not much fun. And it could be worse."

In the middle of the second wave, Roubaix had the highest incidence rate in France, 1,135 positive Covid cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

This is also what the authorities want to avoid.