It was to be a day of glory for the Soulages museum and its great man, Pierre Soulages, 100 years since Christmas 2019, and as such our national monument.
It was a Black Monday, deprived of all the joys of celebration.
The coronavirus put an end to it all.
To read also: The century of Soulages
Monday, September 7, a tribute was scheduled for the painter of "
black-light
" in his hometown, in his museum, on the occasion of the donation of one of his historical paintings by his gallery owner and long-time collector, the 'German of the Marais, Karsten Greve.
The representatives of the State, the region, the department, the city were to meet around Alfred Pacquement, former director of the National Museum of Modern Art (MNAM) and curator of his homage to the Louvre, and Benoît Decron , formidable director of this museum in Corten steel, steel-colored inside, rust-colored outside, like rock, like the cathedral rose, its neighbor.
A getaway to the Abbey of Conques was even planned for this chosen procession.
Read also: How Pierre Soulages is perceived outside our borders
Sunday afternoon, everything was finally canceled in disaster.
Parisians were asked to stay at home.
The Soulages museum in Rodez is therefore closed for two weeks due to coronavirus.
Six positive cases for Covid-19 were detected among reception and surveillance agents.
Contaminations which however took place outside the establishment, announced Monday the prefecture of Aveyron.
“
It is necessary to place the agents concerned in a fortnight.
Consequently, and because it is no longer possible to materially ensure the reception of the public
”, the closure of the museum until September 20 was decided on a proposal from the Regional Health Agency (ARS), a indicated the prefecture.
An unfortunate dinner at the restaurant
"
The causes of the contamination
" of the six people are "
exogenous
", the statement said.
Terrible bad luck, it comes after an exceptional summer with its attendance and its increased number of visitors, so much the French, deconfined but mostly cautious, have begun to rediscover the beauties of their heritage and their land.
According to the director of the museum, Benoît Decron, these are six young people - four seasonal workers, a staff member and another contract worker - who were infected during a dinner in a restaurant on August 31.
"
The virus has not circulated in the museum, which has been ultra-virtuous in terms of health management
" since its reopening on May 21 "
one of the first in France after confinement,
" said its director.
In Rodez too, the prefecture also announced the closure on Monday of two sections of nurseries, after the detection of a proven case of Covid-19 in each of them.
Also in Aveyron, in the town of Séverac-le-Château, around fifty people - 43 residents, including two hospitalized in Rodez in a "
stable state
" and 11 employees, were also infected in an nursing home which accommodates 75 residents and employs 63 people.
A hygienist and a geriatrician were dispatched there on Monday, the ARS said.
Aveyron figures in the departments so far least affected by the epidemic in Occitanie, with a total of 24 deaths recorded and six hospitalizations in progress, according to the latest point of ARS-Occitanie.