Fighting for the executive in the fight against the coronavirus. Emmanuel Macron gathered this Saturday morning at the Elysée a defense council and then an exceptional council of ministers, while 73 patients in France have been reached by Covid-19 since January. Fifty-nine people are currently hospitalized, twelve healed, and two have died.
The Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, gave an update at the exit on the measures taken to fight against the spread of virus, while the epidemic has passed into phase 2. Here are the main announcements to remember from these summit meetings, after more than three hours of discussion.
Schools closed in six municipalities of Oise and Haute-Savoie
In the Oise, the schools of Creil, Crépy-en-Valois, Lamorlaye, Vaumoise and Lagny-le-Sec "will not reopen on Monday," said the minister. "Parents will be offered an evaluation process that will allow us to decide which children to test," he added. These five cities are particularly affected by the epidemic since the death of a teacher, elected from Vaumoise and teacher in Crépy-en-Valois, and the hospitalization in serious condition of a soldier from the Creil air base. This measure also applies to the town of La Balme-de-Sillingy (Haute-Savoie), the second current “cluster” - place where several cases of contamination are concentrated - on French soil.
Collective gatherings prohibited in these same six communes
In the neighboring department of Ile-de-France, "all collective gatherings will be prohibited until further notice" in the cities already mentioned. A measure also valid for La Balme-de-Sillingy, in Haute-Savoie.
The inhabitants of these communes are also invited to go out as little as possible, just to "go shopping", and encouraged to telecommute.
All "gatherings of more than 5000 people in confined spaces" prohibited in France
To prevent possible sick people from rubbing shoulders with healthy people in a closed environment, all large-scale festive gatherings are prohibited. This is particularly the case of the agricultural show, the last day of which was scheduled for tomorrow and which will therefore close its doors this Saturday evening. The Cannes Mipim, a global meeting for real estate professionals, is postponed from March to June, the organizers announced.
Several outdoor events also canceled
Other gatherings that do not take place in a confined environment will also be canceled. The Paris half-marathon, which was to take place on Sunday, is one of them. 44,000 runners were expected.
The Annecy carnival is also canceled, announced the Minister of Health. According to Le Dauphiné, it was the very strong ties of this demonstration with Italy that led the authorities to take this decision. "The prefects will receive instructions to cancel gatherings in an open environment when they lead to mixtures with populations from areas where the virus is visibly circulating," said Olivier Véran. However, the Ligue 1 match Lyon-Saint-Etienne is currently maintained.
Stop the rush on the masks
The government will transmit its instructions to pharmacies "so that they do not issue them, unless prescribed by the doctor". "No one needs to wear a mask if a doctor does not ask you to wear one," said the Minister of Health. Explaining that "rushing to pharmacies can give rise to a shortage".