Covid-19: the inhabitants of Dunkirk resigned to a local containment

Audio 01:05

Queue in front of a coronavirus screening center installed in a concert hall in Dunkirk, February 18, 2021. REUTERS - PASCAL ROSSIGNOL

Text by: RFI Follow

4 min

More than 900 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, four times more than the national average.

The city of Dunkirk in northern France is facing a surge in Covid-19 cases due to the English variant of the coronavirus.

After Nice, the government is preparing to take new measures against the spread of the virus.

The mayor of Dunkirk is calling for a reprieve before setting up containment at the weekend.

But the inhabitants, them, expect to stay at home on weekends, between resignation and weariness.

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With our special correspondent in Dunkirk,

Julien Chavanne

"What do 

we expect?

We are expecting two possibly difficult weekends 

, ”says one resident.

The decision has not yet been made but the Dunkirk people are under no illusion.

Another turn of the screw is inevitable.

"

I think that for hospitals, yes, we still have to be very careful and for all the patients who are integrated there,

 " she adds.

In the shops of the city center, the threat of confinement at the end of the week erases the smile of this saleswoman: "

This is necessarily not good news since Saturday is the most important day in a business, and even more. since the curfew since clients cannot come after work.

 "

With his 6-year-old daughter on his shoulders, this young father is preparing for weekends locked up at home: “

 It's a bit complicated.

We are going to look on the internet at what is beautiful to do at home ... You do manual work, masks, creations, you do all that ...

"

Others can't take it anymore, tired of never seeing the end of the tunnel.

We're fed up,”

says a young girl

.

And that's rubbish, in fact.

They're talking about only re-setting on weekends.

But it's ridiculous ... It's been a year ... no that's good, there we will no longer respect.

We will go out with masks of course, but we will go out anyway.

"

► Read also: Territorialized measures facing Covid-19: the risk on a case-by-case basis

Decided to territorialize its response to the health crisis, the government is considering “ 

additional braking measures 

” after consultation with elected officials from Dunkirk.

The mayor of the city announced in the morning wanting to give " 

one last chance 

" to the population " 

not to be confined

 ".

He advocated a "

 huge prevention campaign 

" to convince residents to limit contact as much as possible, as well as an "

 increase in vaccinations 

", and the generalization of the obligation to wear a mask in all municipalities.

Olivier Véran, the Minister of Health, is going on site this Wednesday afternoon to specify the remedy that the government will choose to curb contamination.

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  • France

  • Coronavirus

  • Confinement

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Territorialized measures in the face of Covid-19: the risk on a case-by-case basis