The prefecture of the North announced Thursday, July 30 the next strengthening of health measures at the local level in the department in the face of the upsurge in Covid-19 cases over the past two weeks.
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Excluding the possibility of a "re- containment ", which " would be damaging as much for collective well-being, family life, professional activity as for the economic world ", Michel Lalande, prefect of the North, and Étienne Champion, general manager of the Regional Health Agency (ARS) of Hauts-de-France, announced in a press release that they had decided " to impose the strengthening of preventive measures ". These measures must be announced Friday morning at a press conference, but the wearing of masks in open public places is being considered.
On Wednesday, the Minister of Health Olivier Véran had spoken of discussions with the prefect and the director of the ARS du Nord considering making the wearing of the mask compulsory outdoors, " given the proximity to Belgium ", faced with a increase in cases in recent days. The prefecture had indicated Wednesday that in addition to the proximity to Belgium, " local findings of relaxation in behavior and a significant increase in the number of cases " would justify these measures.