Although restrictive measures are still in force, the confinement is well and truly over: the French can see their loved ones again. With the reunion, some have the impression of being less vigilant than they were before. Testimonials.
For two and a half months, barrier gestures have been part of the daily life of the French. Physical distancing of 1m50, hand washing, use of hydroalcoholic gel, wearing a mask… Everyone has put in place new habits in order to break the chain of contamination of Covid-19. However, if in mid-May 95% of French people said they respected barrier gestures since deconfinement, some note that they tend to take fewer precautions than a few weeks ago.
This is the case of Élodie, 26 years old. During most of the confinement, the young woman followed the safety instructions to the letter. For example, when she returned from shopping, she took off her shoes and undressed in her hallway, before immediately putting her clothes in the washing machine. “Gradually, from the end of April, I stoppedconfides the beautician. Of course, I continue to systematically wash my hands as soon as I get home, but it’s true that I’m less rigorous”.
“It’s as if the reunion had made me forget the current context a little”
Another point on which she notes a relaxation: physical distance. “I confined myself to Val d’Oise, so when I went out to do my hour of daily walking, I hardly met anyone”, remembers Élodie. The rare times that was the case, she had plenty of room to step aside in order to respect the distance of 1m50. “When I returned to Paris in mid-May, I found it much more difficult to avoid people in the streetshe regrets. Even if it meant wasting time, I made huge detours so as not to meet them”.
However, when she saw a friend for the first time since the start of deconfinement, the twenty-something paid less attention. “We were walking in Montmartre on a Friday afternoon. There were a few people, and, as I was caught up in our conversation, I took less trouble to avoid people than in normal times.remarks Élodie, pointing out that she did not respect the safety distances with her friend either. Even if I wore my mask, it’s as if the reunion had made me forget the current context a little”.
“You have only one desire when you see your friends again: that it becomes like before”
Same observation for Camille, who saw her group of friends again on the banks of the Seine. Very straddling barrier gestures since the start of the health crisis, the 20-year-old student only deconfined a week after the rest of the French. “In the metro to join my friends, I respected all the barrier gesturesshe assures. But, as soon as I found my group of friends, I took off my mask, whereas, usually, I would have kept it on. I wanted to talk normally with them”.
Although everyone had disinfected their hands with hydroalcoholic gel before starting the aperitif, Camille did not feel that she had been particularly rigorous. “We had taken the trouble to distribute crisps on everyone’s plates so as not to dig into the package, but we did not do it for the cherry tomatoesshe notes. Then we played cards, and clearly we weren’t re-sanitizing our hands every time we touched them. It’s about finding your friends. You have just spent 1 hour in transport adopting unnatural gestures and you have only one desire when you see your friends again: that it becomes like before”.
“The joy of reunion surpasses my fears of catching the virus”
Sylvie, 50, also tends to pay less attention in the presence of those close to her. Always so rigorous about barrier gestures in transport and stores, the school teacher could not help kissing her two daughters again three weeks ago. “Before, we scrupulously respected the distancesremembers the fifties. Outside, I’m careful, but I feel more confident with my family. For example, Saturday night I’m invited to my brother-in-law’s for my nieces’ birthday, and I wouldn’t mind kissing them at all. I will not do it in relation to them because I would be afraid of contaminating them without knowing it, but the joy of reunion surpasses my fears of catching the virus”.
“A way to bring back normality, by remaining attentive, but not paranoid”
For her part, when Bérengère welcomed her friends to her home on the evening of the lifting of the confinement, the 29-year-old journalist was more than cautious: she protected her sofa with throws – which she put in the washing machine. to wash as soon as the evening was over – and asked his guests to take off their shoes when they returned. “At the first aperitif, I remember that we had all religiously respected a distance of one meter; we were on the verge of measuringsays the twenty-something. Thereafter, we continued to avoid kiss-type contacts, to wash our hands very often, but we were less rigorous about pure distance. Less suspicious, too, I would say”.
Bérengère describes the impression of being less conscientious, of seeing the rather high vigilance that she imposed on herself decrease. “Maybe because I’m less and less stressed with the passage of time, maybe because I see my friends doing the same at home, maybe because I tell myself that, as long as we avoid closeness and We are very careful to wash our hands often, that’s enough…she lists. I think it’s also a way to bring back normality, by remaining attentive, but not paranoid”.
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