Covid-19 in France: local containment envisaged in the Alpes-Maritimes
The figures of the Covid-19 in Nice and its surroundings worry the authorities.
REUTERS - ERIC GAILLARD
Text by: RFI Follow
5 mins
Traveling in the Alpes-Maritimes (south-east), the French Minister of Health Olivier Véran asked the prefect and elected officials this Saturday to take "additional measures" by tomorrow evening to deal with the outbreak of the Covid -19.
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Since the appearance of Covid-19 a year ago in France, no confinement has yet been decreed at the local level.
That could change as early as this weekend.
Visiting a Nice hospital, the Minister of Health Olivier Véran called this Saturday for a strengthening of measures in the Alpes-Maritimes in the face of the outbreak of the epidemic.
"
It could take the form of an accentuation of the curfew, or even partial or total confinement
," he said, asking the prefect and elected officials of the department for a decision by Sunday evening.
Because the latest figures worry the government.
In the Alpes-Maritimes, the positivity rate for detection tests is greater than 10%, against a national average of 6% and the incidence rate reached 587 per 100,000 inhabitants on Friday, according to the Regional Health Authority ( ARS).
In the metropolis of Nice, this rate exceeds 700, or more than three times the national average (190).
The epidemic situation in the Alpes-Maritimes and particularly in Nice alerts us.
I announced the strengthening of the virus tracing in the department and an increase in vaccine supplies to protect its most vulnerable inhabitants.
- Olivier Véran (@olivierveran) February 20, 2021
"Massive screening" in schools
LR mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, who applauded the decision to implement a curfew, said he was in favor of the idea of partial or total confinement.
"
If we were to go to partial confinement or a little more important in the coming days depending on the evolution of the epidemic, I would support them in the same way, for example a confinement on the occasion of each week. end,
”he said.
Today, everything must be done to curb the # Covid19 epidemic in our department.
If new restrictive measures were to be taken quickly by the @gouvernementFR in consultation with local elected officials, I would support them.
pic.twitter.com/FIQbSd1rty
- Christian Estrosi (@cestrosi) February 20, 2021
Olivier Véran has also announced additional measures, including a strengthening of checks on compliance with health instructions, “
massive screening
” in schools at the start of the school year with saliva tests or the sending of 3,500 additional doses of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine. Monday and "
thousands of doses
" of AstraZeneca.
"
It is not the South African virus which circulates here, it is especially of the English variant
", detailed the Minister of Health.
In Moselle, a department which is also experiencing an outbreak of the Covid, Olivier Véran also mentioned in mid-February the possibility of local confinement or the closure of schools, subject to consultation with local elected officials.
But for now, the prefect has simply decided to increase the checks on the application of health measures and the number of tests carried out.
At the national level, "
the trend over the last three days is not good, it is no longer good
", lamented the Minister of Health on Saturday, stressing that yesterday "
more than 3,000 additional cases
were counted.
compared to Friday of the previous week
”.
According to majority parliamentarians, who participated in a video conference with the Presidency of the Republic on Friday, the Elysee is giving itself 8 to 10 days to decide whether the current constraints should be relaxed or on the contrary tightened.
Reinforced controls
In the meantime, and while France is entering a spring weekend, the authorities have decided to strengthen controls throughout the country.
"
No relaxation despite the good weather
", warned the prefect of police Didier Lallement.
Four thousand police and gendarmes are deployed as of this Saturday in Île-de-France to ensure compliance with health instructions.
In the North too, the numbers will be increased for the start of the school holidays.
Hundreds of police officers are notably mobilized towards Dunkirk.
Among other things, they fear the presence of Carnival festival-goers, despite the event's cancellation.
The Rhône prefecture has banned alcohol consumption in Lyon city center between noon and 6 p.m.
In recent weeks it has indeed seen more and more frequent gatherings.
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