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Outbreak of Covid-19 cases in Dunkirk: "We do carnival, but not at sixty"

2021-02-23T19:22:33.743Z


With an incidence rate well above the national average, the agglomeration of the North should, after the Alpes-Maritimes, be the subject of


“Containment?

We are on track to be entitled to it.

It is perhaps the best solution, if we want to at least save the summer… ”In Dunkirk, philosophy is essential.

The sub-prefecture of the North is "the star of the news" of the moment, laughs Michèle, psychologist of National Education and resident of the city center.

And for good reason: the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, is expected this Wednesday, twenty-four hours after the announcement by the Prime Minister, Jean Castex, of the forthcoming implementation of "additional measures to curb the spread" virus in the city.

The epidemic is soaring there, with a record incidence rate of 901 cases per 100,000 inhabitants - against less than 200 on average in France.

After the Alpes-Maritimes, where a partial reconfinement was put in place over the weekend, Dunkirk should therefore experiment with “regionalization”, restrictive measures now advocated by the government.

In the city, we wonder about the causes of this epidemic outbreak.

"I went for a walk this weekend at the beach, the weather was fine, it is true that there were people, but I did not notice any particular overflow which could explain such an increase in contamination", notes Michele.

Who dares to emit a beginning of explanation: if the traditional balls of the carnival of Dunkirk have been canceled, some are celebrating in private.

"We see costumed people"

"When we walk in the streets, through the open windows we hear carnival tunes, laughter, songs, we see people in costume ... Maybe not everyone pays attention to barrier gestures", s' asks Michèle again.

Jacky, 21, "assiduous carnival", confirms that the locals "need to party a little", but no more than elsewhere.

"In the same way that student evenings or aperitifs take place in Paris or Lille, no doubt that here, some see themselves in small groups to have a good time," he believes.

But from there to saying that it is the cause of such a major contagion, I do not believe it.

We do not brew more than elsewhere.

"

Same story for Michel Papegay, head of the Dunkirk Carnival Ball Association.

"

Clandestine

chapels

(Editor's note: giant aperitifs between neighbors for carnival)

, that does not exist ... I would know", swears the man.

Who ensures that the instructions of the local authorities "were clear and disseminated": "Any member of association of carnival who would organize an underground thing will be fired, without warning, assures Michel Papegay.

Obviously, it's carnival time, it's hard to stay idle!

It is not forbidden to receive people at home, to dress up, to have a drink… but respecting barrier gestures.

We do carnival, but not at sixty, being responsible.

"

So, the other subject at the heart of the discussions to explain the situation is the proximity to Kent, land of origin of the English variant, Dunkirk being, with Calais (Pas-de-Calais), one of the two main gateways to the UK.

This one, much more contagious than the original strain of Covid-19, would represent more than 70% of new cases there, against around 36% in the rest of the country.

“Dunkirk is a hub, considers Jacky.

The truckers, the people who arrive every day from England, because Brexit has not cut all trade!

"

Crisis meeting to avoid confinement

Result: the local hospital saturated.

The head of emergencies, Christophe Couturier, indicated this weekend to the daily Le Monde to have been dealing with a "tide" which has swept over the establishment for ten days.

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To stem the outbreak, the elected representatives of the Urban Community of Dunkirk, which brings together 17 municipalities, met this Tuesday morning.

At the end, the mayor (DVG) of Dunkirk, Patrice Vergriete, asked for "a last chance before confinement" and announced the strategy proposed by the elected officials of Dunkirk, based on a reinforcement of prevention, the generalization of the wearing of the mask. and accelerating vaccination.

Source: leparis

All life articles on 2021-02-23

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