On Thursday, Jean Castex specified the timetable for lifting the restrictions linked to the Covid crisis. Announcements that are not unanimous in the opposition and among health professionals
The government announced Thursday evening the lifting, in February, of most of the restrictions taken to curb the epidemic: end of wearing a mask outdoors and compulsory teleworking, reopening of nightclubs and return of standing concerts. However, the number of contaminations in France is still very high. A discrepancy that some political and scientific figures do not understand.
Anne Hidalgo, socialist presidential candidate
“No one understands anything anymore. […] I don’t think anyone is fooled. So much the better if the epidemic recedes, but what chaotic management! What management so difficult! estimated this Friday morning the mayor of Paris and PS candidate, Anne Hidalgo, on FranceInfo. Why not work more specifically with the mayors? Why not listen to parliamentarians a little more? […] The government, in its method, does anything and the French are lost. »
Marine Le Pen, RN candidate
“The #PassVaccinal does not prevent contagions: it is applied on Monday. The outdoor mask is useless: it is imposed until February 2. The ban on drinking standing in bars is ridiculous: it is maintained until February 16. With E. Macron, it’s absurdist! »
Julien Bayou, national secretary of EELV
“We were told that Emmanuel Macron decided according to the recommendations of the Scientific Council, I did not understand that he recommended relaxing the efforts, analyzed Julien Bayou on Europe 1. There is a paradoxical side: a pass very restrictive vaccination is supposed to come into force at the very moment when we are told that the constraints will be relaxed. I do not understand very well. I will refrain from any triumphalism because there were 120,000 deaths. »
Gilles Pialoux, infectiologist
Asked about FranceInfo on Jean Castex’s announcements, Gilles Pialoux felt that this is what “the French want to hear. […] It is a way of giving prospects to the French. And in that sense, there is consistency, yes. In terms of health, it is still a little out of step with the advice of the Scientific Council.
The head of the infectious and tropical diseases department at the Tenon hospital in Paris regrets that no “threshold for lifting constraints” is planned, nor any “threshold for recovery, that is to say reactivity if things left with this variant or another variant. At school level, it’s still amazing. The start of the last Christmas holidays shows that in the 0-9 age group, there has been a staggering increase with incidence figures that are beyond 4,000, and even 5,000 for 10-19 year olds. […] The idea that after the February holidays, we will have a reduction, the arms fall to me. »
Dominique Costagliola, research director at Inserm
“I find it difficult to understand the optimism presented by the Prime Minister. I look at the figures, the number of consolidated cases at D-3. However, we are at 525,000 cases diagnosed on Monday, an incidence which is not decreasing, a number of hospitalizations which is not decreasing either. I understand that we want to take measures but they should be based on objectives, on indicators ”, regretted the epidemiologist on BFMTV.
Catherine Hill, epidemiologist
“It’s very reckless. This stems from an optimism that I find it hard to share. Every day more people arrive at the hospital. And even if it is true that the admissions to intensive care have started to decrease, 290 on average each day over the last seven days, it is a lot, especially when we see that there are more younger patients, analyzes Catherine Hill with the Parisian. People will think it’s better and will pay less attention. However, the situation is far from being amazing, and other contagious variants, such as BA.2, are emerging. »
Frédéric Adnet, head of the emergency-SAMU-SMUR service at the Avicenne Hospital in Bobigny
“It is logical that we announce a series of good news. Yes, we must lighten these protocols which give rise to strikes and distrust. If the epidemic situation allows it, it must be done, judged the caregiver on BFMTV. We will see if, by gradually reducing our barrier gestures, we manage to control this epidemic.