End of certificates on December 20, isolation, tracing: the government's avenues for deconfinement

DECRYPTION

If the pressure is easing slightly on hospitals - 4,775 patients with Covid-19 are in intensive care including 357 new admissions in 24 hours, or 79 less than the day before - France is still "far from deconfinement", warned on Wednesday the government, which prefers to consider a "relaxation" of sanitary restriction measures.

While Emmanuel Macron is expected to speak next week, two key dates are being studied by the executive, subject to a positive development in the health situation: December 1 and December 20. 

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- Coronavirus: follow the evolution of the situation Thursday, November 19 

A calendar under study

On December 1, the government plans to reopen "non-essential" businesses and resume religious services.

At this stage, according to information from Europe 1, driving school lessons could also resume, such as the activities of hairdressing and beauty salons, apartment visits and home lessons.

Another date mentioned in the government's plan, December 20.

This Sunday should mark the end of the attestations.

Here again, it is not a deconfinement, but a reduction that should make it possible to go to celebrate Christmas with the family, beyond the regulatory kilometer, assures the executive.

We should therefore be able to move around, find each other, but not just any old way.

Currently, private meetings with more than six are not recommended, but the gauge could increase to ten people for the end of year celebrations.

At this stage, it is the hypothesis that is most often mentioned behind the scenes.

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Two tracks under conditions of an improvement of the health situation, priority of the President of the Republic.

But Emmanuel Macron is also obsessed with social acceptance.

Its objective: to avoid social unrest at all costs.

A confidential note from the police services dated November 17, which Europe 1 was able to consult, warned the Head of State against the weariness and reluctance of the French.

She also mentions possible attacks against e-commerce warehouses.

Test...

If the government does not want to hear about "deconfinement", it is because it fears a third wave with family reunions and outings linked to the end of the year holidays.

There is also the additional risk associated with the weather: the cold will be conducive to the spread of the virus at least until March.

To keep the epidemic under control before a possible vaccine, the executive wants to strengthen its policy of testing and isolating positive cases.

Nearly 250,000 antigenic tests have already been carried out since the end of October.

With a response given in 15 minutes, they allow the chains of contamination to be broken more quickly.

From now on, these tests are taken into account by official statistics.

In addition, doctors and pharmacists are encouraged to upload the results as quickly as possible to the central file, failing which they will not be reimbursed.

The Ministry of Health is also counting on massive screenings in schools, businesses and perhaps also in entire cities.

... and isolate

As for isolation, so far the weak point of the system, the government is now working on the hypothesis of support for positive cases at home rather than the sanction, control then fine, for those who do not respect the rule.

A hypothesis that has been on the table.

This support mission could fall to the Health Insurance teams.

Today, 11,000 people are already tracing contact cases, seven days a week. In the future, these teams could also help patients to better isolate themselves with phone calls, advice, so that patients are reassured and apply the right barrier gestures, including when there are many in the same apartment.