Emmanuel Macron wants a debate in Parliament on the isolation of contact cases and patients. A measure expected by health user associations and already translated by several deputies in a bill tabled in the Assembly. A text which provides for reinforced support … and fines.
- Emmanuel Macron does not rule out “more restrictive” isolation measures
- A text providing for a “health referent” to support isolated patients and the payment of compensation has been tabled by a group of deputies
- This bill proposes a fine of 1,500 euros for those who do not respect the isolation
“Ensure the isolation of infected people, including in a more restrictive way”… The sentence pronounced Tuesday, November 24 by Emmanuel Macron in his intervention on the health crisis is undoubtedly the most “new” idea of the strategy envisaged by the State to continue the fight against the Covid-19 epidemic. And while the president is awaiting a “democratic debate in Parliament” on this subject, the “Agir Ensemble” group – deputies from the UDI and the Republic En Marche, Ed. of law to regulate an isolation made compulsory for people who tested positive and whose non-compliance would even be punishable by a fine of 1,500 euros.
From the first weeks of the health crisis, the government had put forward the triptych “test-trace-isolate” as a tool for controlling the epidemic. A strategy also applied with rigor in certain countries like South Korea where the balance sheet of the epidemic was limited on October 15 to less than 500 dead. But the framework of the “isolate” phase is currently only the subject of a recommendation from the High Authority for Health which provides that for contact cases, people with the first symptoms and those who test positive, isolation of 7 days is “indicated”.
The expectation of “more rigorous” measures
As a result, patients who know they are sick – and these, including asymptomatic ones, are more and more numerous with the increase in the number of tests carried out since the start of the second wave of the epidemic – continue to live ” normally”, to work or to see their loved ones at the risk of multiplying the contaminations.
A situation that caused a group of associations of users of the health system to react, which published a column in Le Parisien on November 24 to demand more vigorous measures. “We must implement the ‘test-trace-isolate-protect’ strategy, the protection of isolated people is essential for people to agree to isolate themselves”, underlined the same day on RFI Professor Axel Kahn, president of the League against Cancer and signatory of this forum. “There are people who live in such conditions that they cannot isolate themselves at home, nothing is planned, we are not going to lock people up in a cell or in a hotel room if nothing is wrong. is planned!”, specified Axel Kahn, referring to the need for support for these people and the establishment of a daily allowance “to compensate for a possible loss of professional income”.
Support for patients and daily allowances
Tracks that can be found in the bill tabled on November 25 by the group “Agir Ensemble”. His text proposes a strategy of massive testing followed by the isolation of the sick. “But the sick must be treated with dignity, underlined at the microphone of Europe 1 Olivier Becht, the president of this group. Hence the importance, according to him, of having each patient accompanied by a “health referent” capable of bring to those who will have to be isolated “food, medicine and care” and to provide for daily allowancesurnalières “on the model of sick leave for employees” for those whose isolation would have an impact on their professional activity. In return, the text of “Agir Ensemble” provides for a fine of 1,500 euros for those who do not respect the isolation, whether it takes place at their home or in a place of reception.
Mandatory nature is a problem
But even if Emmanuel Macron wants a debate on binding measures to enforce isolation, its mandatory nature poses other problems. The first being that of the premises in which those who cannot isolate themselves at home could be accommodated. From last April, at the height of the first wave, hotels had declared themselves ready to welcome patients and the AP-HP had even requisitioned rooms in several establishments in the Paris region. But the isolation strategy had never really taken hold.
The other obstacle to compulsory isolation was highlighted very recently by the Prime Minister himself. Jean Castex said he fears the French will stop getting tested to avoid quarantine! A risk recalled Tuesday evening at the end of the intervention of the Head of State by several health professionals reacting to the words of Emmanuel Macron.
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