Jacques Serais, edited by Manon Fossat
, modified at
8:52 am, January 04, 2022
Prime Minister Jean Castex gathered around ten of his ministers on Monday to take stock of the Omicron variant and the continuity of essential public services. A few months before the presidential election, the executive fears the worst on the economic front, while sick leaves are increasing.
While an unprecedented wave of contamination has hit France in recent weeks, sick leaves are increasing in many sectors. On Monday, Prime Minister Jean Castex organized a meeting to take stock of the Omicron variant and the continuity of essential public services such as hospitals but also places of education, transport, police stations or even police stations. If it was not a question of taking new measures, the whole stake was to take the full measure of the problem with the approach of the presidential election.
The importance of ensuring the continuity of public services
The executive fears the worst in terms of economic activity. The explosion in the number of contaminations risks generating an unprecedented rate of absenteeism. And for Macronie, out of the question to see the country at a standstill three months before the presidential election. So that was the whole purpose of this meeting on Monday in Matignon. Jean Castex hammered home his message: we must anticipate any difficulties. Before a dozen ministers, including Bruno Le Maire for the Economy, Olivier Véran for Health and Jean-Michel Blanquer for Education, he therefore recalled the importance of ensuring the continuity of public services.
For the moment no announcement is planned concerning new measures. Matignon indeed assumes the last rules of isolation and does not intend to change them immediately. According to the Prime Minister, they make it possible to reconcile “protection against the risks of spreading the virus and preservation of socio-economic life”.
But prudence remains in order. A new Health Defense Council is scheduled for Wednesday at the Elysee Palace. Jean Castex also asked all his ministers for a day-to-day inventory of absenteeism by department and by service. A new meeting will take place Thursday in Matignon.