This past April 19, Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo confirmed to JDD that 2.2 million facemasks, “validated and washable”, will be given to Parisian by mid-May. The socialist mayor said these masks will be "first given to the most fragile: people over 70, as well as people suffering from chronic diseases and pregnant women" by late April.
But the City of Paris isn’t stopping there and “gradually wishes to systematize the presence of hand sanitizers in the public space”. To keep fighting against covid-19, Paris is getting ready to phase out by gradually and massively setting up hand sanitizer distributors in several and strategic places in town such as public spaces (bus stops, coin-operated public toilet, green spaces, squares, workout paths…) as well as in the halls of municipal buildings welcoming public (town halls, maternal and child protection center, gyms…).
Moving on to public transit, feared by many Parisians when deconfinement will come, the city has said they asked SNCF, RATP and Vélib’Métropole federation so that they can provide hand sanitizer. “RATP answered the demand favorably and is working on setting up distributors in stations” authorities say. As for the Vélib’Métropole federation, they are “ready to take part in the installation of distributors in stations”.
The goal being to cover the entire Parisian territory, the city wishes that main public service operators, professional federations and main stores to get organized to generalize “as much as possible” the supply of hand sanitizer at the entrance of buildings.
Last but not least, JC Decaux has also been asked by the City of Paris to set up hand sanitizer distributors on public space (coin-operated public toilet, bus stops…).
For the youngest, the City of Paris is considering providing soaps near fountains in playgrounds.
