Will Île-de-France resist a third lockdown? Nothing is sure. This Wednesday March 17, 2021, French President Macron hosts a new health Defense Council at the Elysée Palace to decide on new restrictions to implement to curb the spread of Covid-19 in Île-de-France, the new epidemic epicenter in France. Backed into a corner - because of how red markers are for weeksn in the area around Paris - Macron is expected to definitely decide on the delicate question of a local new lockdown. The option of a four-week weekend lockdown seems to be favored for now.
Between strict 24/7 lockdown and weekend lockdown, President Macron is said to have decided already! This is what reveals L'Express this Wednesday, a few hours after the Health Defense Council. The Head of State is said to have already decided on four-week weekend lockdown in Île-de-France according to a minister who attended the extraordinary meeting in the morning. "We are standing in front of four tough weeks", the minister states. L'Express adds the decision has been made "after a one-on-one meeting between Emmanuel Macron and Jean Castex", shortly prior to the Defense council.
Even though some people think they can prevent it, the executive leaves no room for doubt as for the necessity to call a new lockdown. "The time has come to consider measures for the Île-de-France region", head of government Jean Castex claimed the night before the decisive health Defense Council. By the way, the head of state is to decide on a likely new lockdown exactly one year to the day after instating the very first lockdown in France.
And now what lockdown fate are Île-de-France inhabitants expecting? On that matter, Castex keeps on maintaining uncertainties as of the shape of these new restrictions. As if he was leaving the ultimate call to the President. "Nice-inspired measures are on the agenda", the head of government confirms. "Weekend lockdown is an hypothesis", he insistis on as in Alpes-Maritimes and Pas-de-Calais similar restrictions are currently instated.
Furthermore, even though President Macron has been trying to consider all options to prevent the spread of Covid-19 as much as possible over the past weeks including transfering Covid patients outside Île-de-France, this is no longer time for procrastination, according to epidemiologists and experts. AP-HP director Martin Hirsch confirmed earlier today the epidemic was not longer "under control" in Île-de-France. To sum the emergency of the situation up, Macron willingly admits that now "virus is the time master". An assessment that pushed him on Monday March 15 that new decisions were to be made in the coming days in a fitted and proportionate fashion depending on territories.
Today, there is no longer room for doubt, it is no longer about delaying unavoidable restrictions: the incidence rate reached 418 cases for 100,000 inhabitants in Île-de-France, and the hospital pressure looks like the one noticed this past Fall during the second wave.
Covid: incidence rate of over 400 in Île-de-France, containment this week?
Despite the progression of the coronavirus epidemic, Île-de-France has escaped weekend confinement until now. But as the region's incidence rate passed the decisive milestone of 400 cases per 100,000 inhabitants this Monday, March 15, 2021, Paris and all Ile-de-France residents could find themselves confined again as early as this week. [Read more]
