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Covid-19 new measures: Marseille bars, restaurants to close
France’s health minister announces new coronavirus restrictions that place Marseille and Guadeloupe in a “maximum alert zone”
Olivier Véran announced Wednesday evening the creation of a new system to stem the spread of coronavirus that involves the creation of three categories: alert zones, heightened alert zones and maximum alert zones.
The city of Marseille and the overseas territory Guadeloupe have been placed in the maximum alert zone meaning that all bars and restaurants will be closed there from Saturday.
Bordeaux, Lyon, Nice, Lille, Paris and its inner suburbs, Toulouse, Saint-Etienne, Grenoble, Montpellier, Rennes and Rouen have all been categorised as heightened alert zones. Here measures will include limiting public gatherings to 10 people and bars will have to close at 22:00 at the latest.
Mr Véran said, “the overall situation continues to deteriorate.
“The incidence rate, which was 83 cases per 100,000 inhabitants last week, is now 95 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, and we will exceed 100 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the next few hours or days," he said.
“If we don't take action quickly, we risk reaching critical thresholds in some regions.”
Maximum alert zones
- Marseille, Guadeloupe
- Departments or cities where the incidence rate is over 250 per 100,000 people
- All bars and restaurants to close from Saturday
- All establishments hosting the public will also be closed, unless they have set up a "strict health protocol". Theatres and cinemas, for example, are not concerned
- The goal is for these measures to remain in place for only two weeks
Heightened alert zones
- Bordeaux, Lyon, Nice, Lille, Paris and its inner suburbs, Toulouse, Saint-Etienne, Grenoble, Montpellier, Rennes and Rouen
- Departments or cities where the incidence rate is over 150 or over 50 among elderly people
- Gatherings will be limited to 10 people in public areas (beaches, parks), bars will have to close at 22:00 at the latest from Monday, local and/or student parties will be prohibited, party venues and multipurpose rooms will also be closed.
- Visits to retirement homes will only be possible on appointment
In the past 24 hours, 10,008 new cases of coronavirus were diagnosed and the test positivity rate - the proportion of sick people among those tested - continues to rise.
