Week after week, the map of France changes color.
And it is now Paris that turns bright red.
If the capital is not yet in the maximum alert zone, such as Aix-Marseille or Guadeloupe, where the closure of bars and restaurants has been decreed, it is not far from it.
Everything will therefore be decided in the coming days, announced the Minister of Health this Thursday evening during his weekly press briefing on the situation of the Covid-19 epidemic.
While the authorities have their eyes riveted on the figures for contagions and hospitalizations, the City of Light's counter is racing "in recent hours".
Bad sign.
“This degradation has accelerated in Paris and in the inner suburbs.
We will review the indicators on Sunday with the mayor of Paris and the elected officials concerned, warned Olivier Véran.
If the momentum has not changed, we will take the necessary measures from Monday.
"
The more the choice, it will be necessary to make a cross on the family celebrations, the evenings and the pots in the bars, which will draw the curtain, in a temporary way.
As for the restaurants, their fate is not decided.
The government will study the new strengthened health protocol proposed by representatives of the sector.
"I do not understand that we are waiting"
Why is the situation worrying in the capital and its surroundings?
Today, the weekly general incidence rate has reached 263 contaminations per 100,000 inhabitants, 105 among the most vulnerable.
We are still passing a milestone compared to last week.
Third index, 30% to 35% of the resuscitation beds in the region are occupied by Covid-19 patients.
Again, this is deteriorating.
Should there be more drastic decisions?
"I do not understand that we wait, deplores Jean-Michel Constantin, Deputy Secretary General of the Society of Anesthesia and Resuscitation.
Even if the numbers go down, we will have a plateau for several days.
Will that mean not to take action?
“No need, according to the resuscitator, to follow the statistics of the epidemic on a daily basis, it is necessary to observe the trends.
“Otherwise, it's like traffic accidents, if you look month after month, it varies all over the place.
"
For Jean-Paul Hamon, honorary president of the Federation of Doctors of France, we must leave “the outdoor terraces open” as everywhere else.
“As we know, the risk of contamination outside is much lower.
“Olivier Véran, he insisted on recalling that there was no“ differentiated treatment between Marseille and Paris ”.
A little better in Marseille
More than yesterday, five metropolises also crystallize concerns: Lille, Lyon, Grenoble, Toulouse and Saint-Etienne.
If the restrictions do not make it possible to quickly bend the contaminations curve, then these territories will be classified as “maximum alert”.
Little hope in this gloomy picture, a "shudder", according to Olivier Véran, is observed in Bordeaux, Nice and even Marseille, although the circulation of the virus remains too high there.
In general, the situation is deteriorating in France to such an extent that the Director General of Health will resume his regular television spots as at the time of confinement.
"The virus is evolving too quickly, we are in a worsening phase," said the minister.
In a note made public this Thursday, the scientific council fears that hospitals will be overwhelmed "within a few weeks".
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Among the messages conveyed, there is one "crucial" to remember, according to epidemiologist Antoine Flahault.
“We don't say it enough, but we must not be content with social distances.
When you are grouped inside, you must also wear the mask.
It's not cheese or dessert, it's both, ”he says.
According to her colleague Dominique Costagliola, it is difficult to go further in terms of barrier gestures.
"What I don't understand is why we don't massively encourage people to telecommute?
It is a simple measure to limit contact, it questions me.
Another axis of improvement according to the epidemiologist, the screening policy.
And that seems to be on the right track, as 75% of tests would now be delivered in less than 48 hours.
"I'm not saying that everything is settled," warned Olivier Véran, who ensures that everything is done to resolve situations where the traffic jam persists.
