New restrictions in sight in Île-de-France.

Faced with the progression of the Covid-19 epidemic, Matignon announced on the evening of Sunday, October 4, that Paris and the three departments of the inner suburbs will be placed in the maximum alert zone.

These "binding measures", which will last 15 days, will be detailed at a press conference at 11:30 am by the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo and will come into force on Tuesday, Matignon said.

In particular, they could lead to the closure of cafes.

Restaurants will be able to remain open in the maximum alert zone with a reinforced health protocol to fight against the Covid-19 epidemic, the Elysee said, meaning that establishments in Marseille will be able to reopen from Monday.

"The government received this (Sunday) evening the opinion of the High Council of Public Health concerning the opening of restaurants. A reinforced sanitary protocol applicable in the zones of heightened alert as well as in the zones of maximum alert will be put in place. up and will keep the restaurants open, "said Matignon, specifying that the terms of this protocol would be detailed Monday by the competent ministers.

Telework "more privileged than ever"

Teleworking is "more privileged than ever" in areas of maximum and heightened alert, Matignon added.

Another measure already announced, the maximum gauge in the faculty rooms, will be set at 50% of their capacity, in the enhanced and maximum alert zones.

The latest data from the Regional Health Agency (ARS) communicated on Friday left little hope.

The day before, the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, had granted a "reprieve" to Parisian cafetiers before placing Paris and its inner suburbs on "maximum alert", where Aix-Marseille and Guadeloupe are already located.

>> To read also: In Marseille, cafes and restaurants have closed shop, angry professionals

However, since then, the indicators have not improved.

The incidence rate still exceeded, Friday, the bar of 250 per 100,000 inhabitants in Paris - one of the three criteria for switching to the maximum alert zone - standing at 264 against 261 Thursday.

The occupancy rate of intensive care beds for patients with Covid-19 amounted to 34.8% in Île-de-France, above the maximum alert threshold of 30%.

As for the third criterion, the incidence rate among people over 65, it also exceeded the critical threshold of 100. 

Other cities soon in the red alert zone?

If Paris is on the front line, other large cities, such as Lille, Lyon, Grenoble, Toulouse and Saint-Étienne could also soon switch to the red alert zone and be affected by the closures of bars.

For the sector, it is yet another hard blow.

According to the main employers' organization, Umih, around 15% of the 220,000 companies in the sector - cafes, bars, hotels, restaurants, brasseries, nightclubs - could go out of business in the coming months in France, and 220 to 250,000 employees could find themselves unemployed.

With AFP

The summary of the week

France 24 invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news everywhere with you!

Download the France 24 application

google-play-badge_FR