COVER FIRE. What if the curfew switched at 7 p.m.? While the first results of the measure are expected to be felt, lowering the measure could be the ultimate solution for the executive before a reconsideration.
[Mis à jour le 26 octobre 2020 à 21h15] The 46 million French people under curfew should experience a hardening of this measure very soon. On Saturday, October 24, Minister of Health Olivier Véran sounded the alarm: “The situation will get worse in the coming days and weeks, whatever we do,” he said. For the moment, the inhabitants of the 54 departments under curfew and of French Polynesia must stay at home between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., on pain of a fine of 135 euros. According to information from Figaro, several scenarios are being studied by the executive, in particular an advancement of the curfew to 7 p.m., coupled with the closure of certain places open to the public such as universities. Another solution is envisaged, namely, an increase in the hourly amplitude of the curfew during the week, associated with confinement at the weekend. On Friday, the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron also declared, during a trip to the University Hospital of Pontoise: “These measures [de couvre-feu, ndlr] (…) are not intended to be reduced, but they will perhaps be reinforced if they are not sufficiently effective either by expanding geographically, or by looking at the places, the moments when the epidemic is spreads the fastest. “
Towards a 7 p.m. curfew?
Liberal doctors from the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region are calling for this advance of the curfew at 7 p.m. on weeknights and partial confinement of the population on Saturday and Sunday. “Too many of our fellow citizens do not take the risks of contagion seriously enough, individually trivialize this infection, neglect the risk they pose to others and first and foremost to the most vulnerable,” they write. This is “the only way to go, if we want to avoid general confinement”, Dr. Pierre-Jean Ternamian, regional president of URPS, also explains on France Info on Monday October 26th. For Jean-François Delfraissy, President of the Scientific Council and guest of RTL this Monday, October 26, “the possibility of moving towards a more massive curfew both in its schedules, in its scope, and that it can be put up on weekends “is a real solution. On the other hand, on France Info, Eric Caumes considers that the curfew, even at 19h, is a “risky bet” cWith “this is not a method whose effectiveness we know” while for Gilles Pialoux if there will be “perhaps “a small decrease in cases and admissions to hospital with the curfew” but there is more room for half measures. “
Has the curfew been effective in Guyana?
Guyana experienced the curfew long before the rest of France. It had been established on March 21 in Cayenne, then throughout the country from 9 p.m. Schedules have varied over the course of the epidemic and it is still in place, from midnight to 5 a.m. since the end of September. But has it proven its worth? “The curfews have been very effective. The number of cases has stopped increasing very rapidly,” notes the director of the Guyana Regional Health Agency, Clara de Bort. In June and July, at the height of the epidemic on the territory, “in two or three weeks, there was a drop of more than 30% in the rate of reproduction of the virus”, explains epidemiologist Mathieu Nacher, cited by The world. However, one should not “expect to see the number of patients drop drastically”, because “there always elapses between contamination, incubation and the appearance of symptoms”, specifies the deputy of the first constituency of Guyana Gabriel Serville, in Alsace.
Travel between regions and holidays are still allowed
When the curfew was announced on Wednesday October 14, Emmanuel Macron said the government had “not decided to reduce travel between the regions”. “To ask people to remain confined in an apartment and not to go to a vacation spot, that would be disproportionate,” he said. In the 54 departments affected by the curfew, it is always possible to move to another region for a weekend or a vacation. On the other hand, we must take into account the measures. If you want to leave with your car an area affected by the curfew, you must do so at the authorized times, so from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Likewise for the return. If you have a train, plane or bus ticket, you can, on the contrary, leave or come back during curfew hours. You must show your ticket as well as a derogatory certificate filled in with the reason “transits for long distance journeys”.
More info on the curfew
Here is the list of the departments which are placed under curfew, following the announcements of Jean Castex, from midnight Friday: Ain, Alpes-Maritimes, Ardèche, Ardennes, Ariège, Aube, Aveyron, Bas-Rhin, Calvados, South Corsica, Côte-d’Or, Drôme, Gard, Haute-Corse, Haute-Loire, Haute-Savoie, Haute-Vienne, Hautes-Alpes, Hautes-Pyrénées, Ille-et-Vilaine, Indre-et-Loire, Jura, Loiret, Lozère, Maine-et-Loire, Marne, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Pas-de-Calais, Puy-de-Dôme, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Pyrénées-Orientales, Saône-et-Loire, Savoie, Tarn, Tarn-et-Garonne, Var, Vaucluse, and French Polynesia.
16 departments were already concerned and remain under curfew: Bouches-du-Rhône, Essonne, Haute-Garonne, Hauts-de-Seine, Hérault, Isère, Loire, Nord, Paris, Rhône, Seine-et-Marne, Seine- Maritime, Seine-Saint-Denis, Val-de-Marne, Val-d’Oise, Yvelines.
The curfew also concerns the department of Oise, but the measure will come into force on Saturday at midnight.
The curfew comes into effect from 9 p.m. in the departments concerned. This curfew must be observed until 6 a.m. each day. Exemptions are of course possible for people working in the evening or for compelling family reasons, like what was in place during confinement.
The curfew is established “normally, for a period of six weeks,” said Jean Castex during his press conference. He thus joins the information delivered by Emmanuel Macron, Wednesday, October 14, who said he wanted the same duration. “This is the time that seems useful to us,” he explained. However, legally, the curfew can only be declared for one month “on the basis of very degraded health indicators”. Beyond that, it will require the approval of the National Assembly and the Senate to extend its duration. Jean Castex confirmed Thursday, October 15 that Parliament would be asked for an extension.
- What is forbidden between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. The bans during curfews mainly concern exits. “This means that at 9 p.m., everyone must be at home and that, with some exceptions, all places, businesses or public services open to the public will be closed. These rules must of course be applied with common sense, as during confinement” , said Jean Castex Thursday, October 15. It is not possible to be outside without proof, but also to play sports outdoors, such as jogging or cycling. During the curfew hours, all businesses open to the public must close.
- Which is allowed between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. It is possible to move around freely between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m., the curfew not being synonymous with confinement. “There will be no traffic ban but a strict limitation” to the hours of the curfew, had also summarized Emmanuel Macron in his speech. It is particularly possible in the evening to leave the areas concerned, to go on weekends or on vacation. “We will not prevent people from going on vacation,” said the head of state explicitly. A derogation is nevertheless necessary in certain situations. Regarding places, health and medico-social establishments, reception facilities for the most precarious, hotels, restaurants providing home delivery or even public establishments providing night service, such as police stations in particular, may remain also open.
The list of exceptions to the curfew was detailed by Jean Castex and the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin on Thursday, October 15 during a press conference. It is authorized to move between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. in the areas concerned for the following reasons:
- Job. Regarding night workers, Emmanuel Macron made it clear that the exceptions put in place. “Obviously, for all those who return from work after 9 pm, or who work at night and who work later, there will be an authorization”, announced the Head of State on October 14. This was confirmed on October 15 during the ministerial conference.
- Health emergency. It is also authorized to travel to go to the hospital or the pharmacy on duty or for other medical reasons.
- Transports. Emmanuel Macron had also indicated that “there will be no transport restrictions” during the curfew. As Jean Castex has also confirmed, it is possible to continue traveling anywhere in France, whether for professional or personal purposes during curfew hours and thus take a train or a plane that leaves or arrives after 9 pm. hours or before 6 a.m. (you must be able to show a ticket in the event of a control).
- Close in a situation of dependency. Caregivers can visit a loved one in a situation of dependency.
- Pet. He is also authorized to go out “near the home” to take out his pet, said Jean Castex on Thursday, October 15.
The certificate and all the information concerning the health situation and the measures relating to the curfew are available on the government website. There is also a toll-free number: 0 800 130 00.
“12,000 police and gendarmes will be responsible for checking the bans every night,” Gérald Darmanin warned at the press conference on October 15. A fine of 135 euros is in force in the event of non-compliance with the instructions. “And if ever there was to be reiteration, that is to say if, after three times, the police or gendarmes manage to confuse a person who cheats or does not respect these rules of prohibition, a penalty of 6 months’ imprisonment is possible as well as a fine of 3,750 euros “, added the Minister of the Interior.
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