Paris, boom of infections: towards the closure of bars and restaurants

PARIS – The countdown has begun in the Ville Lumière. After Marseille, the capital can also close its typical cafes and restaurants on Mondays, which are part of its charm. From featured chef clubs to classic brasseries, from bars frequented by young people to historic cafes on the boulevards. Paris could be forced to shut down social life in public places. A repression that, except for surprises, now seems inevitable. “The situation is very worrying,” said the Minister of Health. Olivier Véran, at a press conference at the Bichat hospital in Paris, the first to receive Covid patients in late January.

The data on the health crisis in Paris and neighboring municipalities, explained the minister, are not good. Incidence rate of 263 positives per 100,000 inhabitants, 105 for those over 65 and 35% of intensive care units occupied by Covid patients. The minister suspended the decision to wait to “stabilize” the data for several days. If the curve does not improve by Sunday, then the same rule will apply as in Marseille and Aix-en-Provence, the first two French cities to pass the “scarlet red” maximum alert category, for the purpose of bar activities and restaurants for 15 days.

A very hard blow for the Ville Lumière, where many restaurants and cafes are already being put to the test by the consequences of the closure last spring. After the reopening in May, the municipality had granted free occupation of public land and until a few days ago, with the beautiful days, the tables had invaded sidewalks and parking spaces in the streets. Right now, trade associations are trying to avoid closure by proposing to strengthen health protocols, inserting a client registry, on the Italian model, and limiting tables to no more than eight people. Last week, the government had already announced the closure of gyms in the capital and setting the end of the activity of bars and restaurants at 10 pm. The repression was not enough, at least judging by the numbers.

Precisely in Marseille, said Véran, there are the first “signs of hope” with a timid slowdown in the curve of new positives and Covid patients in hospitals. A positive trend was also observed in Nice and Bordeaux. “But it is still too early to say if it is an established trend,” Véran added. Five other French cities are under strict surveillance: Lille, Grenoble, Toulouse, Lyon and Saint-Etienne. The minister promised to wait another week before imposing restrictions on social life in these metropolises as well.

The latest health bulletin confirms the strong circulation of the virus in France, the second most affected European country with Spain: 13,970 new infections in twenty-four hours, a positivity rate always of 7.6%, stable for two days. Since yesterday there have been – among hospitals, nursing homes and institutions for the disabled – another 63 deaths, with the total number of deaths since the start of the epidemic has exceeded 32,000. Véran said he was “not concerned” about the outbreaks in schools, which account for a third of the total, which the government considers under control. All studies confirm the low contagion of children, added the minister who then launched a heartfelt appeal to young people: “Don’t be a fool when you go home. Don’t invite twenty friends to have fun. I am convinced that young people know that” It is a risk for the people who love. Young people must show exemplary solidarity. ”