The mayor of Paris will submit to the government a plan recommending a confinement of the capital for three weeks with the objective of reopening restaurants, bars and theaters at the end of this period, declared Thursday, February 25, the first deputy. Emmanuel Grégoire on France Info.

Rather than confinement on weekends, a measure "very restrictive in terms of societal impact and not very effective in terms of health", the first deputy prefers "short confinement" in Paris so as "really restore oxygen and have the prospect of reopening everything in three weeks, "while retaining health protection measures.

"We cannot impose on ourselves to live in a semi-prison for months. We must now take courageous decisions," said deputy mayor PS Anne Hidalgo after the announcement by Prime Minister Jean Castex of the placing under "reinforced surveillance" of Paris, like 19 other departments, in the face of the epidemic rise.

These territories may be subject to local containment measures from the weekend of March 6 if the situation continues to deteriorate, after "consultations with elected officials", added the head of government.

"Half measures with bad results"

If the government's method of initiating dialogue between prefects and local elected officials "is the right one", Emmanuel Grégoire believes that "the current situation, which seems a little bit wait-and-see, is the worst because they are half-measures with bad results ".

The town hall, also favorable to "a return to teleworking in a compulsory way" and to measures "targeted, with discernment and of limited duration" vis-à-vis traders, intends to forward its proposals to the government at the beginning of next week, after dialogue with the Regional Health Agency (ARS) and the police headquarters over the weekend.

Asked Thursday evening on the statements of Emmanuel Grégoire, the entourage of the Prime Minister declined any comment, simply referring to "the prefect / elected officials". 

Health Assistant Anne Souyris (EELV) said she feared an "explosion of the numbers" of Covid-19 in the capital with the start of the school year on Monday and the progression of the British variant, while the incidence rate is already higher there at the maximum alert threshold.

With AFP

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