Coronavirus: what to know this Tuesday, May 12

Good evening,

On this second day of deconfinement, the head of state is jostled by La République en Marche, which requests a blow from the left, and by opponents who attack his management of the health crisis. The horizon for municipal elections is getting a little brighter, while the economic outlook is clouding in France. On the Covid-19 front, age has again been confirmed as an important risk factor.

Good reading,

Camille Lestienne, journalist at Le Figaro

1. Where is the epidemic at?

The toll of the coronavirus epidemic in France was up again Tuesday evening with 348 new deaths in 24 hours, according to the Directorate General of Health. In total since March 1, at least 26,991 deaths have been recorded. In detail, 17,003 people died in hospitals and 9,988 in social and medico-social establishments. The number of heavy patients in intensive care continues to drop, with 2,542 patients, 170 less than the day before. 21,595 people are hospitalized today for a Covid-19 infection, compared to 24,775 a week ago.

History of the epidemic in the 80 most affected countries. By Marie Coussin and Nicolas Mondon for Fig Data

Since the start of the epidemic, 96,979 people have been hospitalized, 57,785 people have returned home cured. 4 regions (Île-de-France, Grand-Est, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Hauts-de-France) account for 72% of hospitalized cases. As for the number of confirmed cases of contamination, it reached 140,227, or 708 new cases in the space of 24 hours.

Read also: Follow the evolution of the epidemic, department by department

2. What happened today

In politics, the tone rises. With the creation of a working group on " the spirit of solidarity ", La République en Marche is campaigning for a coup de barre on the left with a view to " post-crisis ". Shaken by dissension, threatened with secession, it is urgent for the presidential party to contain this " scattering ". Especially since in the political sphere the tone rises. On the one hand, the President LR of the Senate, Gérard Larcher, tackles the government and accuses him of lying by omission on the masks: " What I think is that we did not say, at one time , the truth. And that we always have an interest, even when it is painful, even when it is unpleasant, in telling the truth ”. On the other Stanislas Guérini, the general delegate of LREM responds to the attacks of La France insoumise and the Rassemblement national on the resumption of transport, describing them as " birds of doom, sort of information scavengers waiting for each whenever there is the slightest malfunction in trying to track down a state scandal . "

Read also: Guillaume Tabard: “Social against liberal, worn debate”

The horizon is clearing up a bit for the municipal ones. In the 30,000 municipalities where municipal teams were elected in the first round, municipal councils will be able to sit on May 18 and elect their mayor within 10 days. " On May 28 at midnight, the vast majority (86%) of municipalities will therefore have at their head a renewed executive for the 2020-2026 term ," said the Figaro political service . For the remaining 5000 or so, their fate has not yet been decided, a second round on June 21 or 28 or a postponement of the two rounds in September. The mayors of the big cities mainly plead for the first scenario. "There is no question of postponing the second round any longer if things continue to evolve" positively, warns Christian Estrosi, the mayor LR of Nice. But if the postponement is retained, some candidates will claim reimbursement of their campaign costs.

Read also: Police facing the 100-kilometer puzzle

The economic consequences of confinement are becoming clearer. The government and economists are preparing people for a deep recession this year. “ These two months have cost us almost 6% loss on annual growth already. The loss for the whole year will be higher than that since during the restart, activity remains partial, "said the governor of the Bank of France, François Villeroy de Galhau. According to our economic columnist Jean-Pierre Robin, the general impoverishment prophesied by the Prime Minister last week will be, even more, individual, " with its procession of inequalities that will worsen depending on the qualifications of each ." The fact remains that in France, the generous system of partial unemployment saves the furniture. For only a short time, because the “ windfall effect ” dangerously raises the bill and could slow down the resumption of activity. Hence " the need well understood by the executive to review the perimeter of the system to begin to heal the wounds of the French economic fabric ".

Read also: Recession: why France dives more than its neighbors

Aging is THE major risk factor for developing and dying from a serious form of Covid-19.

Age, the primary risk factor for serious Covid. According to an English study detailed by Damien Mascret, of the science department, " aging is THE major risk factor for developing and dying from a serious form of Covid-19 ". Confinement of his own free will therefore remain " relevant ", he warns, because according to this study the risk of death by Covid in the hospital " is doubled for those in their sixties, quintupled for those in their seventies and multiplied by twelve from the age of 80 " . Especially since the serological tests on which the French are rushing, would not necessarily be reliable. The most important risk " is to have a result that would be a" false positive ", giving assurance to someone that he was sick and therefore would be immune, when he is not ". A good reason to remain vigilant and to resist sagging as Minister of Health Olivier Véran repeated this morning. " Be careful, we are not done with the virus, " he warned.

Read also: In Paris, crowds worry residents of the 10th

3. Share, escape, read…

Share the music. Deprived of concert and rehearsal, classical musicians reinvent the participative on networks. Soloists and orchestras have invited fans to join them virtually. Our columnist Thierry Hillériteau takes a look at these initiatives intended to last. " The deconfinement that started yesterday," he notes , "should not put a stop to this craze ." Thus, the Philharmonic of Radio France which " has just posted twelve tutorials, to help children who will not go to music class by the end of the school year to appropriate the great classical themes ".

Read also: Sharing, a new cultural credo

Get away from it all around Marseille. In 100 km you can discover many things. Valérie Sasportas, travel and city specialist, offers six destinations within the authorized perimeter. " Around the city nestle small corners of paradise unsuspected by its very inhabitants ," says the journalist who takes us on a picnic at the Olivier pond, strolling in the Sainte-Baume massif or at a Rove bush producer, " smallest cheese PDO in France ". For culture, a " small museum " which reopened on May 11, the Filaventure Brun of Vian-Tiran. It "is worth the detour to L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue ".

With its silver armor with dark reflections, its little trickster head and its conquering fins, it looks a bit like a bar.

Discover the fairy lake of Annecy. " With its silver armor with dark reflections, its little trickster head and its conquering fins, it looks a bit like a bar ". Our food critic Stéphane Durand-Souffland, makes us discover the fairy, freshwater fish familiar from the great lakes of the Alps. Caught in the pure waters of Lake Annecy and cooked by Jean Sulpice from the Auberge du Père Bise in Talloire, it becomes a “ memorable delight ”. " Right now, as Father Bise is closed," says the chef , "I'm preparing a takeout, a féra barigoule sauce, whose aniseed side works very well."

Read also: Cédric Grolet takes a step back and launches online ordering

Listen to the advice of your bookseller. Our word as a bookseller of the day is that of Pierre Coutelle from the Mollat ​​bookstore in Bordeaux. This Bordeaux institution reopened its doors yesterday. " It is mainly thanks to social networks that we have maintained the link with our readers, in particular via games on Twitter such as Méli-Mollat ", confides the bookseller to Mohammed Aïssaoui. His favorite book? Summers English (The saga of the Cazalets) , by Elizabeth Jane Howard, " a great summer novel " according to him: " It's very well written, both popular and literary, I think readers will take a great enjoy discovering this story . ”

To read also: Érec et Énide de Chrétien de Troyes: the couple, its trials and its joys

4. Photo of the day

Marking on the ground for social distance in a Parisian school. PHILIPPE LOPEZ / AFP

5. Deconfinement, instructions for use

The deconfinement does not mark the return to the life of before. It is done gradually and differentiated according to the red or green areas. Here are some rules to remember.

• The movements are allowed a limit of 100 km around the home. Beyond that, a certificate is required to justify a compelling, family or professional reason. The borders are closed until June 15.
• In public transport , the mask is compulsory and its absence liable to a fine of 135 euros. In Île-de-France, an employer certificate is required during peak hours. It can be downloaded here.
• The gatherings are limited to 10 people.
• Parks and gardens are once again open in green areas only . Forests, on the other hand, are accessible everywhere. The beaches are in principle closed unless the prefect decides otherwise.
• The practice of individual sport is again authorized outdoors, respecting the limit of 10 participants.
• Places of worship are open, but religious ceremonies cannot resume until the end of May or the beginning of June.

Find more details in our articles:

Read also: These new rules which will be imposed on the French on Monday

Read also: Deconfinement: what it will be allowed or not to do on May 11

6. The reflexes to adopt

A few simple steps can limit the spread of the virus. Here they are :

• Wash your hands every hour.
• Cough or sneeze into the crease of his elbow.
• Use disposable tissues.
• Avoid kissing or shaking hands.
• Wear a mask when you are sick.
• Limit your movements as much as possible.

Covid-19 is spread by saliva through close contact with an infected person, especially when the person coughs or sneezes. The virus also remains viable for a few hours on different surfaces.

Read also: Coronavirus: highly contagious patients in the first days of infection

The disease manifests with several symptoms. In 9 out of 10 cases, this results in a fever below 39 ° C. According to the World Health Organization, this fever is most often accompanied by fatigue , signs of shortness of breath and a dry cough .

7. What to do in case of symptoms?

The most important thing now is to get tested. According to the recommendations of the Ministry of Health, you should, if you have symptoms, stay at home and contact your doctor who will order a test. While waiting for the result, you must isolate yourself, wear a mask and list the people you may have contaminated.

Read also: From the isolation test to the tracing of contact cases, the patient's journey from Covid

If the test is positive, Health Insurance will contact people who may be infected. You must then remain isolated for at least 8 days, taking care not to contaminate your loved ones. Watch your health. If you have a fever, take paracetamol. Possibly plan a follow-up teleconsultation with your doctor.

If you feel difficulty breathing , call 15.

If the test is negative, contact your doctor and follow their instructions.

See you tomorrow.