"There it is sure, we are all contaminated! “Hammers a voice. In the crowd of masked heads, it is impossible to know who is screaming like this. They were hundreds of Algerian passengers this Wednesday morning at the fourth departure hall of Orly airport, Orly 4, to wait crowded, glued to each other in a moist atmosphere.
A usual situation in an airport of this size, except that the epidemic of coronavirus has been raging for weeks and the barrier gestures, repeated for so long, are more essential than ever. They were however far from being respected this Wednesday, when a voice message resounded every ten minutes in the airport: "To fight against the epidemic of coronavirus, respect a meter distance between you".
"This situation of a compact crowd in a hall is due to the cancellation of regular flights between France and Algeria initially scheduled for this Wednesday," said an airport source. Since yesterday, the Algerian Prime Minister has ordered the temporary suspension of all air and sea links between Algeria and France. A repatriation system has still not been put in place by Algerian airlines. Air Algérie did not respond to our requests.
"In these cases we no longer think of the virus"
“Algeria must organize the repatriation of its citizens. I had to return to Algeria today, I have important medical appointments. I would stay there as long as I don't have a plane, ”Khaled annoys, gloved hands clutching his cart and unmasked face. Faiza also had to return today to find her parents, she finds herself stuck with her three children and as many suitcases: "Overnight, we have no more flights, with no other solution than to wait here".
A little away from the crowd, Ismaïl, 78, waits in a chair. A surgical mask covers his face and lets his worried look appear. “I stay out of the crowd to avoid contamination, but I too find myself without a return flight. I came with my wife to see my son in the Parisian suburbs, I don't know how we are going to get back, it's already been four hours since we are there… ”, breaths the septuagenarian. The confinement forced his 43-year-old son to stay at home without being able to accompany him to the airport.
“In these cases we no longer think of the virus. The most important thing is to go home, a young man drops, ticket and passport in his hands. It makes no sense. The authorities ask us to confine ourselves at home, to be careful to wear masks and to stay away from others but they close the borders and cancel the flights without warning. It's irresponsible! "
"The health security meter has no legal basis"
A dozen police officers watch the scene from afar. With each raising of voices in the crowd, they approach but do not ask the passengers to disperse to enforce barrier gestures against the virus.
Val-de-Marne Newsletter
Every morning, the news of your department seen by Le ParisienI'm registering
Your email address is collected by Le Parisien to allow you to receive our news and commercial offers. Find out more
At Orly airport, we are assured that “the health security meter has no legal basis such as confinement or travel exemption. Airport teams and security forces have the duty to recall the health instructions, which are the mask, the gel and the distance of one meter, but they are not responsible for enforcing them. It's up to the passengers to comply. ”
Orly in slow motion
Moving away from the hustle and bustle at Orly 4, the corridors and halls of Orly airport are strangely calm. All of the banners have lowered their curtains, except for Relay stores, convenience stores, pharmacies and stores offering take-out food. Several dozen taxis are waiting in single file outside.
On all displays, reminders of barrier gestures to stem the epidemic. "It's weird to see Orly like that, it's a little scary," says a flight attendant. Many passengers wear masks and gloves but do not necessarily impose a distance between them in the queues and on the seats.
Another consequence of the epidemic, the closing of the Orly 2 hall since Tuesday at 11:30 p.m., a reduction in traffic requires. The number of passengers has dropped drastically, by around 75%. "We are ready to close more depending on the reality of traffic," said Edward Arkwright, chief executive officer of ADP, on Monday.