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PARIS: French officials called for self-control on Friday (May 15) as the country prepares for its first weekend since the COVID-19 blockade was eased, warning that the police would disrupt any large gathering of people who take too much liberties newly discovered.
The scenes of crowded squares and riversides in Paris and other cities this week have authorities concerned that the stage of social distancing will fade into the forecast of the spring sun for much of the country.
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The government is walking a very thin line, hoping to avoid a further increase in COVID-19 cases, even as it cautiously reopens some businesses and allows people to now travel within 100 km of their homes without requiring a justification.
Since the blockade was eased on Monday, “the response worldwide has been positive,” government spokeswoman Sibeth Ndiaye told France 2 television.
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“However, significant efforts must still be made” before the summer tourism season, he said, when the confined families will seek to escape to shelters or beaches.
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Deputy Interior Minister Laurent Núñez on Thursday called for a “civic mindset” after the government admitted that its limit on public gatherings of 10 people or less could not be enforced in private homes.
“It is a matter of common sense,” he said. “Everyone must be responsible, deciding if you want to be part of the chain of transmission of this virus. For our part, we are trying to break it at all costs.”
Local authorities have reopened large stretches of beaches along the Atlantic coast, a “green” area where the threat of the virus remains contained for now, but only strolling and swimming will be allowed, not sunbathing or crowds.
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But the parks in Paris, a heavily affected “red” along with large parts of northeast France, will remain closed, despite a plea from the doctors’ union to grant Mayor Anne Hidalgo’s request to make them available to residents in look for fresh air.
“Parisians, especially those who live less privileged in the denser areas, have had no breathing room during the shutdown and cannot take it any longer,” said the CSMF union.
The government has refused, and this week ordered a ban on alcohol consumption along the Seine and the city’s canals in a bid to deter merrymakers.
CALL OF THE JUNGLE
Authorities are also urging people to remain vigilant when they venture into the woods, where park rangers prepare for a wave of hikers and bikers.
“We will have to send some reminders,” including the need for face masks when we meet other users, said Arnaud Pericard, mayor of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, a Paris suburb that serves as a gateway to a popular neighboring forest. .
“I am confident that people will behave responsibly,” he told AFP this week.
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But horse patrols will also be deployed in the 39 forests surrounding the French capital to ensure social distancing, regional authorities said.
Several smaller museums and monuments also began reopening this week, hoping to cater to visitors eager to sample the culture after two months of strict orders to stay home.
But space will be limited: the majestic Chartres Cathedral, located within the 100 km radius of Paris, allows only 10 people at a time, for up to 20 minutes.
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