The three-week curfew will apply the day after Christmas Eve on December 31
The regional prefect of Réunion, Jacques Billant, announced on Wednesday the establishment of a curfew on the island from Saturday evening from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., for three weeks, due to the degradation of the health situation caused by the outbreak of the Omicron variant.
“We must act to curb the exponential circulation of the virus in the island since the beginning of the week,” explained the prefect at a press conference to justify the implementation of new restrictive measures.
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They are in addition to those which apply throughout the national territory and those already introduced on the island, such as the obligation to wear a mask in all public spaces.
“The health situation requires us to limit our social interactions in the coming weeks” and “the state of health emergency allows us to take appropriate braking measures,” he added.
In addition to the curfew which will apply the day after Christmas Eve on December 31, “a choice of confidence”, the prefect announced three other new measures. First, the ban on cultural, sporting and commercial gatherings and events on public roads.
Then the ban on private festive gatherings in municipal halls or municipal gymnasiums. Finally, gauges have been re-established in all establishments open to the public, depending on the surface area of establishments for all shops and markets.
Restaurants, bars, cinemas, performance halls, museums, libraries, sports establishments will be subject to a gauge of 75% of their maximum capacity. Tables are limited to 6 people in bars and restaurants.
“The situation is worrying again, as it was in August,” said the prefect. The incidence rate is 740 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, its highest rate since the start of the crisis. There are an average of 700 cases per day.
“We are now talking about hospital tension and pressure on the medical and resuscitation services,” added Mr. Billant, who specifies that of the 89 resuscitation beds, 84 were occupied on Tuesday, including 37 by Covid patients.
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