During a meeting held this Sunday, October 11, the prefectures of Haute-Garonne and Hérault took the decision to move the metropolitan areas of Toulouse and Montpellier to the maximum alert zone from midnight tonight. A decision that follows an increase in cases of contamination and hospitalizations in the regions.
Toulouse and Montpellier now on high alert
After Aix-Marseille, Paris, Lille, Lyon, Saint-Etienne, Grenoble and Guadeloupe, it is the turn of the metropolitan areas of Toulouse and Montpellier to move into the maximum alert zone. The new restrictions will take effect on Monday, October 12, 2020 from midnight.
In a press release from the Haute-Garonne prefecture, we can read: ” The transition to the maximum alert zone leads to new measures relating to the closure of certain establishments open to the public (bars, casinos, sports halls, game rooms, exhibition venues, party rooms and multipurpose rooms, etc.), the implementation of a reinforced sanitary protocol in restaurants and the limitation of reception capacity in shopping centers. These measures aim, by regulating a certain number of activities, to limit gatherings, carrying risks of propagation. “. Press conferences with the prefects of each of the agglomerations, take place this Monday and will detail the new restrictive measures.
For the moment, we know that in addition to Toulouse, 16 municipalities in the Toulouse metropolitan area will be affected by the restrictions. These are Colomiers, Tournefeuille, Blagnac, Plaisance-du-Touch, Cugnaux, Balma, Castanet-Tolosan, Saint-Orens-de-Gameville, Labège, Aucamville, Launaguet, L’Union, Portet-sur-Garonne, Ramonville -Saint-Agne, Auzeville-Tolosane and Quint-Fonsegrives.
Regarding the Herault, the restrictions will be effective in Montpellier as well as in 7 adjoining municipalities: Saint-Gély-du-Fesc, Saint-Clément-de-Rivière, Teyran, Palavas-les-Flots, Saint-Aunès, Mauguio and Montarnaud.
Update on the numbers
According to departmental data dating from Sunday, October 11, Haute-Garonne has an incidence greater than 200 cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 inhabitants. According to the Haute-Garonne prefecture: “ the alert thresholds for the 3 monitoring indicators have now been crossed for Toulouse Métropole, namely: the incidence rate greater than 250 per 100,000 inhabitants (252.7), the incidence rate for people over 65 years greater than 100,000 inhabitants (153.7) and the occupancy rate in Occitania of Covid beds in intensive care greater than 30% (31.1%) “.
In the Hérault department, the incidence rate has risen to 183 cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 inhabitants. According to data shared this Sunday, there are 159 hospitalized patients, 48 individuals in intensive care and 155 people who have died since the start of the crisis.