Covid-19: in Meaux, the call to "the seamstresses of the Marne" to make masks

It is a historic wink, oh so symbolic, in the midst of a coronavirus epidemic. Mayor of Meaux (Seine-et-Marne), about fifty kilometers from Paris, Jean-François Copé called on the seamstresses of his city, both professional and amateur, to come and bring their skills to make so-called protective masks " alternatives ”and overcoats for caregivers.

“We are setting up an operation with the seamstresses, taxis version of the Marne. We have sewing workshops, a tutorial to make approved masks. We also found fabric and elastic, thanks to an association of Meaux ( Editor's note: a solidarity resource ). We call on volunteers to come and sew, ”explains the former Minister of the Budget, keen on history and author of a book on“ The Battle of the Marne ”(Tallandier, 2013).

VIDEO. Where to find serious tutorials to make a reliable mask?

The initiative, carried out with the former director of the Great War museum, a doctor and a textile designer in particular, refers to a glorious page from the First World War when, in September 1914, General Gallieni, military governor of Paris , had requisitioned some 600 Parisian taxis. Gathered on the Esplanade des Invalides, they had sent several thousand soldiers to the front to counter the advance of German troops at the gates of the capital. If the Marne taxis could not reverse the military situation, they remained as a symbol of national unity.

Masks intended for traders, workers ...

Objective: launch major maneuvers on Friday. A workshop is being set up in a vocational high school, "with a very rigorous health protocol" to avoid any contamination, specifies the mayor LR, re-elected in the first round on March 15. A teacher will train seamstresses on a professional tool, faster than family machines. The masks will be intended for traders, construction workers, etc., and overcoats made for the hospital in Meaux.

The former president of the UMP has already distributed masks to police officers and urban cleanliness personnel in the city. As for volunteers who would like to sew at home, kits and equipment will be made available. "It's a little bit of French genius," he boasts. A mixture of System D and great generosity of which our people are capable ”. At this stage, he does not set a quantified goal, but hopes "as much as possible!" "