The mayor of Yerres (Essonne) announced to AFP on Friday March 19 that he had authorized convenience stores to remain open, thus defying the new restrictions announced Thursday for a month by the government to fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
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In 16 departments, including those of Île-de-France, the government has authorized bookstores, record stores and hairdressers to remain open like other businesses considered “
essential
”, but the others will have to close this weekend.
For Olivier Clodong, mayor (without label) of Yerres, a town of 30,000 inhabitants located 20 kilometers south-east of Paris, this distinction is "
totally incomprehensible
".
"
Why would we catch the Covid more from the shoe merchant than from the bookseller?
He asks himself.
The elected representative recalled having already taken a similar decree last year when supermarkets were authorized to remain open while small businesses had to close, but that this decision had been overturned by the courts.
On Twitter, the former mayor of Yerres and deputy for Essonne Nicolas Dupont-Aignan (Debout la France) said he was “
proud
” of his successor's decision.