On the day 104 people died of covid-19 (the highest number in five months) Emmanuel Macron denies that the situation is out of control. But in order for this not to happen, the most populated areas with the highest incidence rate of the virus will be subject to a curfew.
From Saturday and for at least four weeks, the inhabitants of the Île-de-France region (which includes Paris) and the metropolitan areas of Grenoble, Lille, Rouen, Sain-Étienne, Lyon, Toulouse, Montpellier and Aix-Marseille -Provence will see all commercial establishments closed between 21.00 and 6.00 and the duty of each inhabitant to be at home.
Expected exceptions include travel to or from work or a health emergency.
In an interview with TF1 and France 2 at the Elysee Palace, Macron said the country cannot stand still or panic.
The French head of state began by saying that the country is experiencing the “second wave” of the pandemic and recalled other examples in Europe, with more restrictive measures in Germany, Spain or the Netherlands.
Macron recalled that more than 30 thousand people died in France due to covid-19, but stressed that it does not only attack older people, and with pathologies such as diabetes, hypertension or obesity.
“It affects all people and ages”, and in certain cases leaves marks as people who have lost their sense of smell or who have had respiratory failure – a warning for the younger population: in the capital region the incidence rate in the range between 20 and 30 years is 800 per 100,000 people, when the maximum alert level that authorities have set for each location is when the virus exceeds 250 cases per 100,000 people.
“We have 20,000 cases a day, 200 people a day who go into intensive care, is an unsustainable pressure.”
“I hope that everyone is aware of the risks,” he said, remembering that the police will monitor compliance with this exceptional measure and that the fines for those who do not comply with the collection range from 135 euros to 1500 euros in the event of a repeat offense.
Regarding the national confinement that lasted two months and today, Macron said that “today the virus is everywhere” and, on the other hand, “health professionals are exhausted”, but believes that a new confinement would be a “disproportionate” measure.
Macron admits flaws
The French president, who again and again appealed for civility and citizens’ responsibility, admitted that at the level of testing the answer was not up to the task. “We had too long delays because we did not have the organization that allowed us to do so,” he said.
The same with the StopCovid application: “It didn’t work.” The pandemic tracking app will have a successor called TousAntiCovid, to “track and protect better” and will be presented on the 22nd.
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