The curfew might not be sufficient and might not risk reversing the contaminations curves. The acceleration of the Covid-19 epidemic around the world due to the British variant remains worrying. The government has the ultimate solution to curb the virus while it is being vaccinated.
This was not the scenario favored by the government, but it is emerging more and more. In any case, it is on the table. The famous re-containment risks repointing the tip of its nose.
Last bulwark: the curfew came into effect this Saturday, January 16 at 6 p.m. at the national level.
Contamination and hospitalization figures are being scrutinized and the coming days should be critical.
The French warned
Already during his press briefing on the epidemic and the measures to be adopted (with the announcement of the incubator), Thursday, January 14, Prime Minister Jean Castex had more than sketched the word, explaining that a third confinement would be applied “without delay” in the event of “severe epidemic deterioration”.
But by specifying in a more reassuring tone that such a measure was not envisaged for the time being, the health situation not requiring it.
“If that is not enough, there will be containment.”
The next day, it was Bruno Le Maire, the Minister of the Economy, to talk about this possibility again on BFM, by specifying that the curfew is “the solution which should allow us to slow down the circulation of the virus. If that is not enough, there will be containment”.
Reconfinement remains an option on the table
And following him, Gabriel Attal, the government spokesperson who adds a layer on Franceinfo, this Friday January 15.
He explains that the curfew decision was “difficult”. Before adding: “We do not have an exponential increase in the epidemic but we have a strong concern, with variants that are circulating. Reconfinement remains an option on the table.”
ud83d udde3 ufe0f The re-containment “remains an option on the table if the situation were to deteriorate sharply, but let’s give these chances to this 6 p.m. curfew to try to have the most impact on the virus”, says Gabriel Attal
Follow the live u2935https://t.co/cEwi3c61QM pic.twitter.com/oFRfHPGana
– franceinfo (@franceinfo) January 15, 2021
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So is the government seriously preparing the French for this possibility? Is prevention better than cure? The word taboo has been uttered several times anyway.
Possible closure of schools
But if there is indeed a third confinement, will it be like the first with the closure of schools or like the second with schools open under reinforced protocol?
Officially, the closure of schools is ruled out by the government. The Prime Minister, Jean Castex had moreover underlined it very clearly during his press briefing last Thursday: “It would be necessary” really that the health situation is extremely serious to close schools “.
But the arrival and especially the very rapid spread of the British variant could change the situation. A scenario that can no longer be ruled out as reported L’Express.
Increased contamination in children
Even if the figures are not worrying for the moment, an increase in cases in children has been observed, class closures are already in effect because the coronavirus is also present in schools and also affects children.
As in the Oise in Plessis-Belleville where Friday, January 15, 26 positive cases were identified leading to the closure of two classes, the canteen and the daycare, as reported by Parisian.
In addition, the positivity rate has been rising sharply in children over the past few weeks as reported Public health France.
Figures to be put into perspective because the contaminations are the result for the time of the end-of-year holidays more than the start of the school year according to specialists, but the concern of the new British variant is present.
A measure chosen by European countries …
Some European countries, as specified Franceinfo have yet opted for this measure to close schools such as England, Northern Ireland, Germany, Austria, Greece …
… which cannot be ruled out on the specialist side
It should be remembered that the subject of the closure of schools was addressed by specialists. Professor Alain Fischer this Tuesday, January 12 on France Inter specified: “If at some point it turns out that the circulation of the virus is such among children that they become really dangerous, we would have to resolve to close schools.”
While adding that “the closure of schools has rather dramatic consequences for children, especially the most fragile.”
For the geneticist Axel Kahn, guest of Classic radio, on Wednesday January 6, the arrival of the new variant is worrying, because it is “extremely infectious”. He said he feared an epidemic rebound in France as is the case in England.
For him, it was possible to close schools at the end of January.
So let’s hope that the extended curfew will be enough to curb the epidemic …
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