In Reims, a shy deconfinement while waiting for the summer holidays

Gusts of north wind whipped the forecourt of Reims cathedral, completely empty on this day of deconfinement. Under the arches, covered by the good gaze of the smiling angel, a small sign announces that because of " exceptional sanitary circumstances ", the building will only open its doors between 4.30pm and 6.30pm. At Notre-Dame, like everywhere else in Reims, there was no question of resumption with great fanfare on May 11, but of the gradual reopening of shops, the upgrading of premises' sanitary standards, precautions and fearful looks between residents . A gentle awakening in a city still largely marked by its two months off.

Plexiglas and hydroalcoholic gel

Not far from the cathedral, in front of the opera, city officials distribute surgical masks to all passers-by, which are compulsory for taking public transport. In the tram, it is not the crowds of the big days, and the seats are marked with large crosses prohibiting two users to sit side by side.

A few tram stops later, in one of the main commercial arteries of the city, rue de Vesle, certain businesses cleaned their windows with a spatula in the middle of the morning, when others were already welcoming their first customers. " If we make 4 or 5 sales in the afternoon, we will be happy ," explains José, the manager of the red card sports store who has just fitted with Plexiglas plates and hydroalcoholic gel. We do not expect a real recovery before September. "

Also read: Deconfinement: on the RER A, a successful first morning

Next door, in the merchandise store of the “geek” universe Espacegeek, Jeremy is still cleaning his window, rather confident. " We had very good feedback during the confinement on social networks, people were waiting for the opening to come and restock, we should make a lot of sales today. "

We were supposed to wear a visor but it's impossible, it makes condensation, we don't see anything anymore

In the street, passersby parade quickly, head down, visibly cautious. A few queues are organized, especially in front of hair salons and pharmacies. " The last two weeks, we transferred calls from the salon to my laptop to manage the appointment booking for those first days ," explains Marie, the manager of La Fabrik salon. But we are quite limited with the 4 square meters of distance. And the logistics are complicated between people waiting with colors on their heads and those arriving, wearing a mask, etc. We were even supposed to wear a visor but it's impossible, it makes condensation, we don't see anything anymore. "

Empty champagne houses

Large brands such as the Lafayette galleries or the Fnac, which reopened around noon, had also made all their arrangements. " We prepared the opening all last week to set up barrier gestures and redevelop certain spaces such as queues or the reception desk ," explains Arnaud Fillion, director of Fnac de Reims. We have placed 150 hydroalcoholic gels in the store, including one at each door handle. At the entrance, a bouncer counted the number of customers this morning so as not to exceed 90 simultaneously.

Economic lung of the city of Reims, the champagne houses seemed emptied of their employees on Monday. In the garden of Jacquart champagne, a full wheelbarrow and many empty bottles were waiting for takers, but no one answered the reception. At Krug, we do not yet know when the visits will resume, but they are not on the agenda. And at Mumm's, behind the wide open doors, a deserted courtyard where only Manon, a vat who has already taken over for a month, goes out to smoke a cigarette. But there too, visits are not yet scheduled on the agenda.

Until summer

From his office in the town hall, the mayor Arnaud Robinet confided in Le Figaro on this deconfinement and his expectations for the months to come. “ The city of Reims and Grand Reims have lost 10 million euros in taxes, transport, etc. during confinement, he explains. In addition, the city will offer 1 million euros in vouchers in stores in the city to bring back customers and rent assistance of 400 euros per month for companies with less than 5 employees. In Reims we especially hope that the summer holidays, where the French will not be able to go abroad, will bring many tourists from the surrounding regions. We are putting the package in communication at the moment on the art of living à la rémoise and champagne to attract these tourists. And we are already thinking of the 2020 holiday season, which will ultimately be the real big event of the year ... "

Read also: Deconfinement: "We are not going to choose between health and employment, we need both", says Pénicaud

In addition, the Reims stadium, 6th in Ligue 1 this year, may well find the European Cup from next season. "It would be a very good thing for the city," admits the mayor. In terms of communication, but also, of course, economic benefits. "