Covid-19 in France: the state of health emergency lifted on July 10, then 4 months of transition

The Council of Ministers presented, Wednesday, June 10, a bill organizing the end of the state of health emergency on July 10, followed by a transitional period of four months during which restrictions will remain possible, which has approved the Scientific Council.

Given the improvement in conditions, "it was not justified to extend the state of health emergency" decided on March 23 and already extended once until July 10, said government spokeswoman Sibeth Ndiaye .

>> To read: As the second phase of deconfinement approaches, Emmanuel Macron will address the French

But in view of the scenarios of the Scientific Council, "the virus continues to circulate and it is therefore necessary that we are armed to respond to this situation". Hence the decision to "emerge from the state of emergency with a transitional period of 4 months", she said.

The Prime Minister has presented a bill which organizes the end of the state of health emergency. Although the situation continues to improve, the virus continues to circulate. This is why this exit will be done gradually, with a transitional period of 4 months. pic.twitter.com/n0MmKwj3W3

In a notice dated Monday evening and published Wednesday evening, the Scientific Council approved this plan to exit the health emergency. While confirming that "the circulation of the virus has been greatly slowed down", he nevertheless judges that this "does not exclude a resumption of the epidemic which could occur in the coming weeks or months".

"The improvement in the situation and the dynamic which is at the same time hypothetical, localized and probably controllable of a resumption of the epidemic justify in the eyes of the Scientific Council an exit from the state of health emergency", judge its experts, who add however a condition: "This exit must remain compatible with the possibility of a return to the state of emergency if necessary".

The executive will hold two defense councils on health conditions on Friday and next week, chaired by the head of state, "which will allow us to see what can be changed in view of June 22", next stage of deconfinement, according to Sibeth Ndiaye.

Possibility of regulating travel and access to means of transport

After July 10, "the Prime Minister will retain the possibility of regulating movement and access to means of transport, establishments open to the public such as nightclubs and to decide on the gauges for rallies on the public highway," he said. -she adds.

If it were necessary to decide on a new containment, such as that implemented from March 17 in order to curb the epidemic, the government should on the other hand again declare a state of health emergency.

For the Scientific Council, in this hypothesis and "to control the circulation of the virus at the local level", the decision to resort again to the health emergency "would be essential" and the time of implementation "would be a major element ".

>> Read: Restaurants, parks, high schools and swimming pools: France is preparing for the second phase of deconfinement

Twenty-three more people died from Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, but there are no indicators that the epidemic will resume, the Directorate General of Health (DGS) said on Wednesday.

These new deaths bring the total number of victims to 29,319, including 18,935 in hospitals.

To date, 933 patients with a severe form of Covid-19 are still hospitalized in intensive care, i.e. 22 fewer patients compared to the previous day, according to the DGS, which thus confirms the downward curve for the most severe cases since peak reached at the beginning of April (with more than 7,000 patients then in intensive care because of the coronavirus).

With AFP

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