France: Executive announces slight tightening of containment measures

Text by: RFI Follow

As Covid-19 continues to spread around the world, in France, 860 people have already died from the epidemic, or 186 more in the last 24 hours. This Monday, March 23, 2,082 patients were in intensive care. Interviewed this evening, Prime Minister Édouard Philippe announced new restrictions to fight the epidemic of coronavirus, while the country has been in containment since March 17.

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After almost a week of containment which was not respected everywhere, the emergence of criticism of government decisions and while more drastic measures were awaited by the health personnel who seized the Council of State to demand containment In total, the executive worked to reassure and show that the management of the epidemic was under control.

First in the field during the day, when Emmanuel Macron visited a social accommodation center where the homeless are welcomed. Then this evening, when Edouard Philippe confirmed that the confinement period was going to last several additional weeks and that the exit permits were going to be more strictly supervised. While adding that the markets would now be closed without exception.

" Our fellow citizens are struck by the people who come out en masse to a market, without respecting the safety instructions which must be preserved ," he declared. That is why we made the decision to close the open markets . ”

The Prime Minister nevertheless specified that the prefects would be allowed, on the advice of the mayors, to derogate from this ban. " Because we know that in some villages, the market is sometimes the best and only way for people who live there to have access to fresh produce, " he continued. We must also think of farmers, who feed France and who must be able to sell their products in good conditions . ”

Limit outputs

Édouard Philippe, who will sign a decree applicable on Tuesday, also clarified the containment measures in place since March 17 in France, in particular on exit permits for physical exercise, which had become a reason in recent days widely used in major cities. If the French can " go out to take their children for a walk or play sports ", it will have to be " within a radius of 1 kilometer " from his home, "a maximum hour and alone once a day, " he said. it detailed.

" We are not in a logic of general and absolute containment ," explained Edouard Philippe, in response to a question about the possible establishment of a general curfew. " Many of our fellow citizens would like to return to the time before, the normal time, but it is not for tomorrow, " he added, saying that the confinement could last " another few weeks ", a message that has been passing the government for a few days to prepare opinion for an extension of the measures beyond the end of the month initially planned.

The sanctions will also be tightened. Currently, violators of the containment rules face a fine of 135 euros. This could be " increased " to 375 euros and 1,500 euros in the event of a repeat offense, said the Prime Minister. " We must not joke with these safety rules ," he insisted.

The use of choloroquine not recommended, except in serious cases

This antimalarial is already used as treatment in some French hospitals. The High Council of Public Health gave its opinion this evening on the issue. He does not recommend the use of chloroquine except for severe forms of coronavirus, said the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran.

" The High Council recommends not to use this treatment in the absence of recommendations, with the exception of severe, hospital forms, on the collegial decisions of doctors and under strict medical supervision, " he said. The High Council excludes any prescription in the general population for non-severe forms at this stage, in the absence of any convincing data ”.

Olivier Véran specified that he would take a decree in the next few hours to regulate the use, outside of the classic marketing authorizations for drugs for chloroquine. " Chloroquine will now be available to hospital medical teams who wish, under the conditions provided, for patients with severe forms ," he said.

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• Coronavirus
• Health and Medicine
• France
• Edouard Philippe

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