A large white arbor and colored parasols are now erected at the entrance to the naturist village of Cap d'Agde (Hérault). Below, sheltered from the August sun, medical teams are multiplying Covid-19 screening tests. “They are in white coveralls, masked, it's scary,” comments Vincent, 41, an employee in a restaurant in the village.
Sunday, the Regional Health Agency (ARS) of Hérault warned of the "very worrying" circulation of the disease in the area, after having recorded "nearly 30% of positive cases" for the single day of Wednesday. A rate four times higher than among people who have stayed in the city of Agde without having attended the famous naturist camp, known for its libertine atmosphere.
In a press release published on Monday, the Hérault prefecture asked all residents of the naturist village to get tested and those who wish to go there to postpone their trip.
"The party as if there was no Covid"
“Yet it was expected,” laments Vincent. Two weeks ago, when he was leaving work at around 1 am, the cook says he met a thousand people, "from 25 to 65 years old", gathered in the alleys "black with people". “They were celebrating as if there was no Covid! »For Jean-Marc, a resident of the city, it is not a surprise either. "Nobody respected the gestures of distancing", affirms the fiftieth, whose boat is moored at the port of the village.
“Many come here obsessed with their sexual adventures,” explains Sylvie (the name has been changed) , a resident of Cap d'Agde who knows the naturist camp well. As soon as they arrive in the natu ( Editor's note: nickname that the regulars give to the village ), they have the impression of passing on another planet, where anything would be allowed. They are in total denial of the epidemic. They say to themselves: after me, the flood . "
“Employers did not respect the deal. Admittedly, the clubs have not reopened, but the bars and restaurants have played overtime with late closings. These evenings are open to everyone and everyone mixes, ”notes Vincent, who has worked in the village for five years. It was also after a naturist hotel recorded cases of Covid-19 that a drive-test was set up at the entrance to the village on August 17.
Nearly 30,000 holidaymakers in summer
Each summer, the “natu” welcomes nearly 30,000 holidaymakers. "With 5,000 to 7,000 vehicle passages per day, an average of 5,000 to 10,000 people enter and leave the village daily," indicates the town hall.
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"They stay for about a week, become teenagers in their heads again, then go home and forget that they have put themselves in danger", sighs Sylvie, who no longer dares to go out in town for fear of catching the Covid-19 . “Many locals go to party in the naturist village on weekends and leave, perhaps with the virus. "
According to her, the municipality has not sufficiently sensitized holidaymakers and traders. “All season, we have verbalized, defends Jérôme Bonnafoux deputy mayor delegate for safety. Six bar-restaurants were closed last week. This Monday morning, the prefecture closed others, ”he continues, recalling that wearing a mask has been compulsory in the naturist village since August 18.
“It's already complicated to enforce the wearing of a mask in general, so with naturists, it is even more so. It's really not in their mores. "
Private parties
For some, these measures are too late. Others believe they will not stop the spread of the virus. “People don't come here to play cards. It's partying during the day, at night on the beach. Nothing has changed, says Vincent. Plenty of people have yet to come. Ads for private parties are always on Facebook. "
“It's a specialty of the naturist village of Cap d'Agde: a naughty evening organized in a 30 m2 apartment with around twenty invited couples,” explains Jean-Marc. "The aperitifs on the corridors of buildings, which bring together a lot of people, will not stop," adds Marie (the name has been changed) , a regular in the naturist village. "They are still too many to deny the reality and believe that there are no more patients here than elsewhere," she said.
