Emmanuel Macron.
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JM HAEDRICH / SIPA
At the end of January, the President of the Republic decided not to reconfigure the country, against the advice of many doctors.
The epidemic is now experiencing "a form of third wave", in the words of Jean Castex on Tuesday.
For two months, the majority has been defending the executive's strategy of procrastinating, while new restrictions could be announced in the week.
At the end of January, the majority welcomed Emmanuel Macron's decision not to confine the country in the face of the risk of an epidemic resumption.
Macronists then praised a President of the Republic capable of swallowing specialized studies to better thwart the alarmist predictions of doctors.
Six weeks later, the health situation deteriorated in several regions, such as Hauts-de-France or Provence-Alpes-Côtes-d'Azur.
In Ile-de-France, the number of patients in intensive care exceeded the peak of the second wave of autumn on Monday.
France has entered "a form of third wave [...] characterized by numerous variants," Jean Castex said on Tuesday to the National Assembly.
The day before, the Head of State had announced that the executive would have to "take new decisions in the coming days, no doubt," to fight against the coronavirus.
A strategic failure for the epidemiologist president?
Pressure from politicians and doctors
The opposition has not failed in recent hours to attack the head of state.
“Today we have a president who considers that he is an epidemiologist, that he is a doctor, that he is omniscient, that he knows everything and makes the decision on his own […].
What I see is that sometimes, when we confine early, we confine for less time than when we confine late, ”tackled Olivier Faure, the boss of the Socialist Party, Monday evening on LCP.
The pressure is also increasing from some doctors.
“I hear a lot of people say that a week without confinement is a week gained […].
For me, it's a lost week, ”notably denounced on France Inter the crisis medical director of the Public Assistance-Hospitals of Paris (AP-HP), Bruno Riou.
Even the Republican MP Constance Le Grip, opposed to confinement, takes stock of the executive's strategy.
“We are up against the wall now, because there has been no creation of resuscitation beds in Ile-de-France.
We will have no other choice but to toughen the measures, and there are not many levers, apart from teleworking or the mobilization of private beds ”.
"Containment is not a magic wand"
By playing the clock, did the executive make the wrong decision?
In the majority, we defend the choice not to have put the country under cover.
"Each day not confined is a day won", assumes, despite criticism, Anne Genetet, deputy and spokesperson for the LREM group in the Assembly.
“It is not a failure, it is a victory for the morale of the French, economic activity, our children who go to school, and our social life, even if it is impaired.
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At the Ministry of Health, it is also estimated that earlier re-containment would not have guaranteed a better health situation.
“Containment is not a magic wand.
We do not know if, by confining in February, we would have saved ourselves an epidemic resumption later, in the spring, ”according to Olivier Véran's office.
“At the end of January, Emmanuel Macron did not make a bet, he observed that there were no signs of a new wave, so no urgency to reconfigure.
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"Containment remains the last resort"
Today, the trend seems to have changed.
The president gathered the members of the Scientific Council this Tuesday afternoon, on the eve of the weekly Health Defense Council.
New restrictions could then be announced.
“Containment, localized or not, remains the last resort, insists Matignon.
We will make this decision if our hospitals cannot keep pace.
As the President said, the virus is the master of the clocks.
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Politics
Coronavirus: Emmanuel Macron receives the Scientific Council this Tuesday
Politics
Coronavirus: Delay rather than confine, the risky strategy of Emmanuel Macron
Deconfinement
epidemic
Confinement
Covid 19
Emmanuel Macron
Coronavirus