Like every week, Olivier Véran takes stock of the situation relating to the Covid-19 epidemic in France. In a context of epidemic rebound, the Minister of Health announced this Wednesday, September 23, the creation of new levels of vigilance and presented the new restrictive measures which depend on it.
Five levels of vigilance
With more than 13,000 new cases of contamination recorded this Wednesday, September 23 in France, the incidence rate drops from 83 to 95 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. In his weekly update, Olivier Véran declares: “ If we do not take action quickly, we risk reaching critical situations “.
This is why the government has unveiled a new gradation of the departments with five levels of vigilance making it possible to classify the French territories according to their incidence rate, that of the elderly as well as the number of patients in intensive care. Vigilance levels are now classified, in order, from: ‘normal’, ‘alert’, ‘enhanced alert’, ‘maximum alert’ to ‘state of health emergency’.
If these new vigilance thresholds reflect the deterioration of the health situation, a re-containment is not envisaged by the authorities as clarified by Olivier Véran: ” We are doing everything to not arrive at containment measures, even partial or localized “.
Marseille and Guadeloupe in the maximum alert zone
The metropolis of Aix-Marseille and Guadeloupe have been classified in a ‘maximum alert zone’, the last level before the state of health emergency. To reach this threshold, it is necessary to combine an incidence of 250 contaminations per 100,000 inhabitants, an incidence of more than 100 contaminations per 100,000 concerning the elderly, and the occupation of at least 30% of intensive care beds by Covid patients.
As a result, bars and restaurants will have to close their doors from this Saturday, September 26. This is also the case for sports clubs as well as all establishments open to the public except those which have a strict health protocol (such as theaters, museums or cinemas). According to the Minister of Health, these measures will not last more than two weeks.
Eleven departments in enhanced alert zones
As for the areas classified as ‘enhanced alert’, there are eleven metropolises concerned: Paris (and the inner suburbs), Lille, Toulouse, Saint-Etienne, Rennes, Rouen, Grenoble, Montpellier, plus Bordeaux, Lyon and Nice. This means that in these areas, the incidence rate exceeds more than 150 cases per 100,000 inhabitants and more than 50 cases per 100,000 in the elderly. If the situation does not improve, Olivier Véran warned that other metropolises could move to the heightened alert level. This is the case for Tours, Strasbourg, Dijon and Clermont-Ferrand.
In the departments concerned, the gauge of gatherings has now increased from 5,000 to 1,000 people; gatherings of more than 10 people are prohibited in public spaces; bars and restaurants will have to close at 10 p.m. and sports halls and party halls will have to close their doors temporarily. Finally, visits to nursing homes will only be possible by appointment.
