“The island of Oléron is not outside the world.
The population, businesses and elected officials are worried, ”recognizes Michel Parent, mayor of Château-d'Oléron and president of the Community of Oléron municipalities.
Four first-aid stations were closed last Friday on the beaches of Saint-Georges-d'Oléron following seven positive cases and Covid-19 contacts identified with rescuers.
“The complete reopening of these posts is expected for Wednesday.
The schedule was complicated to organize, ”explains Stéphane Villain, president of the Departmental Fire and Rescue Service (Sdis) of Charente-Maritime, which employs nearly 290 rescuers on the coast in the summer.
This Sunday, the Iléo aquatic center, located in Dolus-d'Oléron, had to close in turn, overtaken by the pandemic.
"The young rescuers and an employee of Iléo would have frequented a bar the same evening", believes Michel Parent.
Beaches accessible but unattended
These chain contaminations strike the spirits, as much as an island and a department largely spared until now by the coronavirus.
The incidence rate had fallen from 9 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in early July to nearly 109 last week.
“It surprises us, confirms the elected Oleron.
We thought that a possible fourth wave would arrive here in October.
"On Monday, the prefecture announced that wearing a mask would be mandatory outdoors again from tomorrow Tuesday in Charente-Maritime, except at the beach, parks and gardens, forests, while the incidence rate has risen to 145, 4 according to the ARS.
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Michel Parent fears the adoption of restrictive and disastrous measures at the height of the tourist season, when holidaymakers flock: "A curfew or confinement would be catastrophic ..."
The beaches, they remain accessible even when they no longer benefit from an organized surveillance, want to specify the local elected officials.
“There was a misunderstanding, confirms Michel parent.
People thought they were closed and called out to us a lot… ”