As confinement enters its third week on Tuesday, a quarter of the 10,000 food markets in France, indoor or outdoor, will be able to reopen in accordance with strict health protocols in the face of the Covid-19 epidemic. A "relief" for Monique Rubin, president of the National Federation of the markets of France. "If we were not in this crisis as dramatic as the one we are experiencing, I would jump for joy," she explains at the microphone of Europe 1.
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"The situation was dramatic for the producers"
"It is the real possibility for producers to be able to sell their productions because the situation was dramatic for them," recalls Monique Rubin. For the past seven days, the markets have been closed and some producers have not hesitated to find other ways to sell their fruit and vegetables, such as the "Rungis delivered to your home" service. "We had to bring all the possibilities of security for the population and for the traders", welcomes Monique Rubin.
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"The market has existed since the world was world"
However, there is no question of departing from the rules of physical distance. "There must be a space of one meter between the display of the merchant and the consumer. There must also be space between each consumer," explains Monique Rubin. "We put little scotches on the ground, we put strings, we put crates every meter: you shouldn't touch each other," she continues.
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Coronavirus or not, markets will continue to rise on Saturday mornings. "You know, the market has existed since the world was created and we must imperatively preserve our activities," she continues. "We don't want to die and the markets will continue to live! Precisely by working very rigorously".