Coronavirus: what you need to know this Tuesday, June 23

Good evening,

In Guyana , the coronavirus epidemic is taking on worrying proportions. The Germany decided a local reconfinement after the discovery of a home in a slaughterhouse. This has already caused more than 1,500 contaminations. Conversely, Boris Johnson decreed the end of " national hibernation " in England . From July 4, the British will be allowed to return to pubs and museums closed since mid-March. Finally, the StopCovid application has only reported 14 cases of risk of contamination since it was put into service.

Good reading,

Roland Gauron, journalist at Le Figaro

1. What happened today

A gendarme patrols Saturday at Rémire-Monjoly to verify the smooth running of the curfew in Guyana. JODY AMIET / AFP

Guyana is concerned. Overseas Minister Annick Girardin began a two-day visit to Guyana on Tuesday to take stock of the epidemic. The health authorities consider the situation "very worrying" and Matignon does not rule out "the hypothesis of a reconfiguration" . The “R” parameter - the number of people infected on average by the same patient - is greater than 2, according to the regional health department. "The spread of the virus is now widespread, with clusters in very disadvantaged areas of cities like Kourou or Cayenne where the wearing of masks is still far from the norm ", explains to Le Figaro the director of the Institut Pasteur de Guyane , Mirdad Kazanji. In mainland France, 57 people have died in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death to 29,720 since the start of the epidemic. In parallel, 89 “clusters” are being investigated.

Read also: Could hydroxychloroquine have prevented 25,000 deaths in France, as Professor Perronne claims?

Germany is reconfiguring. More than a month after the start of deconfinement, the Land of North Rhine-Westphalia has decreed two local reconfigurations in an attempt to stem the spread of the outbreak of infection which already affects more than 1,550 people at the Tönnies slaughterhouse Rheda-Wiedenbrück. Some 600,000 people living in the districts of Gütersloh and Warendorf will again see their travel and activities strictly limited, without however having to stay at home. The decision will apply, at least initially, until June 30. As a sign that the epidemic is threatening to spread to the entire population, 24 positive cases have already been diagnosed in people not working in the company. "The pandemic has not disappeared," recalled the director of the Robert Koch Institute, Lothar Wieler.

A haircut is expected with almost as much impatience as a pint, especially by me.

Boris Johnson is confused. "Our long national hibernation is coming to an end." Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced to parliament a new phase of deconfinement as the number of infections and deaths in the country continues to decline. From July 4, the English will find their pubs, hairdressers and museums. "A haircut is expected with almost as much impatience as a pint, especially by me," joked the Prime Minister, renowned for his rebellious hair. "Wanting to be very careful, Boris Johnson was subjected to strong pressure, from the business community but also from members of the Conservative party, to release constraints as soon as possible and help the economy to restart" , underlines our correspondent on site Arnaud de La Grange.

Read also: The government will lighten the workplace health protocol

StopCovid arrives too late. Three weeks after its launch, only 14 StopCovid users received an alert message warning them that they had been in close and prolonged contact with an infected person. The tracking application has barely 1.5 million users. This is the meager assessment that presented on Tuesday the Secretary of State for Digital, Cédric O. The application seems to have arrived too late. With fewer patients, a tracking application logically loses interest. "There is always a risk of resumption of the epidemic," warns however Simon Cauchemez, researcher in epidemiology at the Pasteur Institute. In the meantime, Guyana is now used as a land of experimentation for StopCovid. Last week, some 20,000 people received an SMS from their telecom operator to encourage them to download it.

2. Run, travel, subscribe ...

The Philharmonie de Paris reopened its doors on June 21 for the Fête de la Musique, with a limited audience and limited training around the pianist Khatia Buniatishvili. ALAIN JOCARD / AFP

Subscribe. Do you have to renew your subscription to the theater or a performance hall? Two schools compete with the wardens. "The club of incorrigible optimists think that by September, the authorities will have ceased to consider theaters as the number one suspect in the spread of Covid-19," said our reporter. "Opposite, the club of prudent directors is indeed putting in place serious measures to ensure that next season's shows are held in compliance with health standards." They are unanimous on one point: there is greatness in subscribing, and no financial risk in return. If the shows were to be canceled, seats would be refunded.

Read also: Sleep, stress ... Everything that a forest bath can change in your daily life

Travel. Our special correspondent Annie Barbaccia invites us to an unusual stopover in the Mediterranean. In Sète precisely. Despite the cancellation of seven festivals, the maritime city of Hérault has redesigned its entertainment program to ensure holidaymakers a festive and cultivated summer. “Between these city festivities and seaside pleasures, summer 2020 does not seem to be that different for holidaymakers. Especially since the most beautiful representation is the city itself, gridded with canals spanned by twelve bridges, fixed, turning, lifting; dented like a whale by Mont Saint-Clair and stretched like a peninsula ” , relativizes our journalist.

The French fought against a certain form of anxiety. Running gave people the impression of regaining their gagged freedom.

Run. In the midst of a health crisis, a spontaneous generation of neophyte runners came to swell the ranks of seasoned runners. “ The French have struggled against a certain form of anxiety. Running gave people the impression of finding a gagged freedom, with the illusion of having control over things, of being in good health when the fear of illness was everywhere " , analyzes Olivier Bessy, sociologist of the sport. If the hordes of runners have somewhat disappeared with the deconfinement, the rush is confirmed in the signs of sporting goods sales. " We see a lot of neo-joggers, who have learned to run around their homes and who come first to wear shoes," says the manager of a Decathlon in the Yvelines.

To cook. Who else but chef François Gagnaire, a native of Puy-en-Velay and now installed in the kitchen of his "natural bistro" Anicia, in Paris, could better tell us about the green lentil from Puy. “The interest of the Puy lentil is that it adapts as well to simple preparations, great classics of“ household ”cuisine, as to more sophisticated dishes. It goes wonderfully with lobster or foie gras, for example. When I was a child, we ate it at home in salty, or in a salad with bacon and a poached egg , says Auvergnat. Today I’m offering you a very simple, very balanced salad recipe with quinoa and an unexpected touch of kumquat. ”

3. Photo of the day

The Musée d'Orsay ended this Tuesday three months of painful confinement, synonymous with a dizzying fall in revenue. THOMAS COEX / AFP

Read also: Musée d'Orsay: why the old station did not become a palace

4. Deconfinement, phase 3

The government has announced a new round of deconfinement easing that will take effect on Monday, June 22. Here is what is allowed again:

• French people can return to the cinema, the casino, the game rooms and go to holiday centers.
• Team sports are again allowed. Combat sports are however prohibited, except at a high level.

What remains prohibited and what will still have to wait:

• The stadiums and racetracks will reopen on July 11, with a maximum number of 5,000 spectators.
• River cruises will wait for the same date. Sea cruises could also resume between European ports.
• International fairs, exhibitions, shows, nightclubs and cruises will remain closed until September.
• Gatherings of more than 10 people in public space are always prohibited.
• The activities gathering more than 1500 people must be declared in prefecture.
• Events of more than 5000 people are prohibited at least until August 31.

5. The reflexes to adopt

A few simple steps can limit the spread of the virus. Here they are :

• Wash your hands every hour.
• Cough or sneeze into the crease of his elbow.
• Use disposable tissues.
• Avoid kissing or shaking hands.
• Wear a mask in public spaces.
• Limit your movements as much as possible.

Covid-19 is spread by saliva through close contact with an infected person, especially when the person coughs or sneezes. The virus also remains viable for several hours on different surfaces.

Read also: Coronavirus: highly contagious patients in the first days of infection

The disease manifests with several symptoms. In 9 out of 10 cases, this results in a fever below 39 ° C. According to the World Health Organization, this fever is most often accompanied by a state of fatigue , signs of shortness of breath and a dry cough .

6. What to do in case of symptoms?

The most important thing now is to get tested. According to the recommendations of the Ministry of Health, you should, if you have symptoms, stay at home and contact your doctor who will order a test. While waiting for the result, you must isolate yourself, wear a mask and list the people you may have contaminated.

Read also: From the isolation test to the tracing of contact cases, the patient's journey from Covid

If the test is positive, the Primary Health Insurance Fund will contact those likely to be infected. You must then remain isolated for at least 8 days, taking care not to contaminate your loved ones. Watch your health. If you have a fever, take paracetamol. Possibly plan a follow-up teleconsultation with your doctor.

If you feel difficulty breathing , call 15.

If the test is negative, contact your doctor and follow their instructions.

See you tomorrow.