REPORTAGE
Convincing the Marseillais to wear a mask in the Old Port risks being a challenge. Wearing a mask is compulsory in Marseille since Saturday morning until August 31 in three areas of the city. The decision was taken by prefectural decree in the face of an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases among 20-40 year olds in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, but the inhabitants are not all inclined to the idea.
LIVE - Coronavirus: follow the evolution of the situation Saturday 8 August
Fight against summer slackening
The obligation to wear a mask outside concerns the sectors of the Old Port, Cours Julien and stopover Borély, three very busy areas, especially in summer. But this decision will not be easy to enforce. In the streets of Marseille on Friday, many had a small argument against this measure: "I can not, I play sports". Others blame the heat, "with the summer, it's a bit complicated over time" or "it's restrictive, it's hot".
There is also a summer slack factor. "When we walk in the street and we see that people do not wear it, we do not put the mask systematically", confesses a Parisian tourist. Some do not believe either in the benefit that this could have: "I understand the interest of wearing the mask in a closed place, but outside, no", also confides a Marseillais.
Mediators in the city center
But this measure is, on the other hand, applauded by downtown restaurateurs like Frédéric Jeanjean: "it is a necessity, especially when we see how people do not respect barrier gestures, on the beaches, in the streets or in the evenings . If we don't want the return to school to be a fiasco, we must issue a call to order. A fear founded according to figures from the ARS. They have not been good for two weeks and the level of vulnerability of the department has just gone up a notch.
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If some are reluctant, many promise to comply with wearing a mask outdoors, despite the inconvenience. To ensure this, the Marseille town hall will deploy mediators in the areas concerned from Saturday morning.