Paris (AFP)

The Minister in charge of Relations with Parliament, Marc Fesneau, ruled out on Wednesday a reopening of shops "at this stage", believing that their closure avoids "the multiplication of the possibilities of contamination" and helps to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

"Not at this stage," replied the minister on franceinfo, when asked about the possibility of reopening small businesses deemed "non-essential", closed since the entry into force of the re-containment nearly two weeks ago.

"I fully understand the distress of traders who are closed", explained Mr. Fesneau, on the eve of a press conference by Prime Minister Jean Castex, who must assess the results obtained by the re-containment in force since 31 October in order to curb the second wave of Covid-19.

"We did it to prevent us from moving more than necessary," said the minister.

"Each time we move, we multiply the possibilities of contamination and therefore we multiply the possibilities of expansion of the virus," he said.

Thursday's press point by Mr. Castex must be preceded, in the morning, by a Defense Council at the Elysee Palace dedicated to the Covid-19.

"If he (Jean Castex) decides to keep these businesses closed, obviously with each passing day, the risk is greater of seeing these craftsmen, these independents and these traders put the key under the door with the procession of unemployed people who will be the consequence ", declared to the press the president of the National Rally Marine Le Pen, on the sidelines of the ceremony of November 11 in Hénin-Beaumont (Pas-de-Calais).

"They made a tremendous amount of effort, a lot of investment to be able to preserve the very strict sanitary rules. We all understand that there was much less risk in going in a small shop with limited numbers than there is. has to go to large distribution with sometimes dozens or even hundreds of people gathered in the same place ", added the member of Pas-de-Calais, for whom it" does not seem that we have correctly targeted the places which are major places of contamination. "

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