Thousands of French people took advantage of the Fête de la musique on Sunday, June 21, to get together and dance in the streets, often forgetting to distance themselves and gestures against the coronavirus… For Jacques Battistoni, president of the MG France general practitioners' union, it is nevertheless necessary to remain vigilant. He called on the government to "hammer that good compliance with barrier measures is not an option" and encourage, even impose, the wearing of masks in public places where the rules of distancing cannot be respected.
Why do you worry about the way deconfinement works?
JACQUES BATTISTONI. We lower our guard too quickly. All these people that we have seen gathering in big cities, especially on the occasion of the Fête de la musique, without taking precautions, it's not okay! It is worrying. I understand that the French want to turn the page, it's very human, but be careful, the virus is still circulating. And even outdoors, staying too close to someone is risky.
VIDEO. Music Festival: the police evacuate the crowded Canal Saint-Martin
What strikes you?
The relaxation of certain individual behaviors. Not a day goes by without my patients complaining. I myself took the train last week: in the wagon, one in two people wore their mask under their nose, when it was not around their neck, which, you will agree, is not very useful. The slack is evident when, alas, we are still not out of the woods. Who can today certify that there will not be a second wave? No one !
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What do you expect from the government?
He must hammer home that good compliance with barrier measures is not an option. Wearing a mask should also be encouraged, or even made compulsory in certain cases, under penalty of a fine. Otherwise, I'm not sure how it will be respected. The French hardly like constraints.
Do you have to wear a mask everywhere?
In any case in all public places where the rules of distance cannot be respected, whether at a concert, at the cinema, or elsewhere. This is what we have always demanded. We must not compromise this summer with the rules in force concerning the number of people authorized during rallies. To deviate from it would be hazardous and would send the wrong signal. In view of what is already happening, one can wonder about the conditions for compliance with the barrier measures during the start of the school year. The French will go on vacation, they will, and it is quite normal, take the opportunity to breathe, decompress, but we must be aware that they will be even more difficult in September to respect them again when they return to work .