Considering that the confinement is "well respected", that the French "have appropriated the rules", the Minister of the Interior, Christophe Castaner, announces to the Parisian- Today in France the establishment, from this Monday, April 6, a digital travel certificate, in addition to the already existing paper device.
Numerous fines were issued during the first days of confinement. How are the figures evolving?
CHRISTOPHE CASTANER. Since the establishment of containment, the police have carried out more than 6 million checks and have drawn up more than 380,000 minutes. We have seen a slight decrease in tickets, but it is not dramatic. Overall, the rules of confinement are well respected, even if we feel a difference depending on the sociology of certain neighborhoods. I know, it's even more difficult when you live in a group in 50 m2 in a neighborhood than when you're lucky enough to have a pavilion with a garden. There are exceptions and therefore verbalizations, but that remains at the margin. We have the feeling that the French have understood that this is protection and that if we want to "break the chains of propagation", containment must be effective.
Does this lead you to make changes?
From Monday, we are implementing a digital certificate in addition to the paper system. The service will be available online, on the website of the Ministry of the Interior and the government. From now on, the French have appropriated the rules of confinement, so it is advisable to give them a little flexibility with this tool.
How will it work?
We will be able to edit the form, from our smartphone, in order to present it to the police with a QR Code. We did not want an application like the ones we saw flourish during the first days of containment, because there was a risk of data piracy. There, there will be no file. No one will be able to collect user data. This system is also built to fight against fraud: you will have to specify your exit time, but the time at which you edited the document will be accessible to the police. This will prevent people from completing the certificate only at the sight of a police check. And thanks to the QR code, the police and gendarmes will not need to take the phone in hand, they will just have to scan the screen.
You reminded that there was no question of going on vacation during confinement… What measures are you going to take to ensure that this is respected?
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Containment and vacation departures are incompatible. This would ruin the effort made for three weeks by the French. Avoid spreading the virus from one region to another and continue to drastically reduce contact. So I asked the prefects a specific point on vacation rentals, in order to increase controls in certain areas if necessary. Our objective is to dissuade departures on vacation, with reinforced controls from major cities, in stations, on roads and in tourist places ... I remind you, everyone in a car can therefore be fined.
Do you fear a weariness, that people will eventually crack and go out?
I don't want to assume that people will no longer respect the rule. I bet on intelligence. It is a matter of health, of life. In any case, there will always be checks. And if necessary, we will further toughen the rules. The curfew is already in place in 150 municipalities, I asked the prefects to extend, in conjunction with the mayors, the curfew measures wherever they deem it necessary. And I encourage them to issue closings of businesses wherever it generates gatherings.
