In full resumption of the epidemic under the impetus of omicron and BA.2, the executive specified the protocol which will be applied during the ballot, the two rounds of which will take place on April 10 and 24.
What to do when going to the polling station for the presidential election? After ensuring that voters positive for Covid-19 will be able to break their isolation to vote, but masked, the government details its protocol for April 10 and 24.
These instructions, specifies the government, are the result of seven meetings between the representatives of the political parties and the declared candidates for the presidential election within the framework of the Covid-elections liaison committee chaired by Jean-Denis Combrexelle, member of the Council of State.
The rules for voters
As usual since the start of the pandemic, the government insists more on washing hands than on wearing a mask. “Hand washing remains an essential barrier measure”, insists the press release. In contrast, “wearing a mask and the rules of physical distance are not compulsory in the polling stations”.
He is fair “strongly recommended” people at risk, symptomatic, contact cases or positive for Covid-19 to wear a mask. We are tempted to add that the FFP2 mask is more effective against omicron than the traditional surgical mask.
Assessors will be allowed to ask voters to lower their masks to verify their identity. Nevertheless, “No of the following documents may be required of voters and persons participating in the organization or conduct of the ballot: proof of vaccination, certificate of recovery or completion of a virological test”, underlines the statement of the executive.
Rules for assessors
Polling station officials will have to deal with instructions that are sometimes as vague as “the number of voters per polling station is not limited. However, access to the polling station can be regulated.. On the other hand, it is clearly indicated that the entry and exit of voters must be separated.
Sars-CoV-2 is transmitted through the air we breathe, so the most important message from the government is that of mandatory ventilation for ten minutes every hour, “or according to the indications of the CO2 sensors if the room is equipped with them”.
Assessors will be delivered surgical masks. And still in its “clean hands operation”, the government asks that the pens and ballot boxes be cleaned “frequently”without knowing by whom.