Illustrative photo of a Go Sport store in France.

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Philippe HUGUEN / AFP

“It's a bit of a personal victory, after 17 days of hunger strike.

"Manager of a Go Sport located in a shopping mall in Publier (Haute-Savoie), Pierre Bavoux does not hide his satisfaction on Monday.

He will reopen his shop, located on the shores of Lake Geneva, due to the press release sent by the prefect of Haute-Savoie.

It is indicated that stores attached to a shopping center, administratively closed, but accessible from the outside, may reopen in the department.

At the end of January, the government had decided to the administrative closure of shopping centers and non-food stores of more than 20,000 m2, to fight against the Covid-19 epidemic.

For 17 days, Pierre Bavoux had therefore been on a hunger strike in order to obtain the opening of his business, which is in this configuration.

"It's unfortunate to come to this," says the trader, who admits to having "harassed" the services of the prefect of Haute-Savoie to obtain this decision.

Stores in Sables-d'Olonne had been authorized to reopen

The prefecture confirms that this personal situation has been taken into account but that it is above all a “harmonization at national level”.

Pierre Bavoux ensures that he sent the prefect on Friday a report in which stores in similar situations in Sables-d'Olonne (Vendée) had been authorized to reopen.

The manager had planned, "whatever happens", to end his hunger strike on Monday for health reasons.

The man, who says he has not left his store since the start of his action, including at night, has lost 10 kg in two weeks.

If he welcomes this prefectural decision, he believes that "the damage is done".

Because this closure suffered is in addition to that of the ski lifts, which deprives it of a good part of its clientele linked to alpine skiing.

"I do not know how we are going to do to recover from it", he concludes, while recalling that his competitors located outside a shopping arcade were able to remain open and therefore capture his customers.

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