Things are getting set up gradually and the government is getting ready for a slow deconfinement starting from Monday. The Prime Minister addressed this Thursday May 7th in the afternoon to explain to all French the modalities to start containment.
He spoke from Matignon and was accompanied by several members of the government, Elisabeth Borne for the Ecological Tranistion, Bruno Le Maire for the Economy, Muriel Pénicaud for Labor and Jean-Michel Blanquer for the Education.
Among others, we discovered the latest Covid forecast map saying if we are in green or red area and if we can proceed to normal deconfinement if green and more restrictive deconfinement if red, especially what it means for reopening parks and forests.
Earlier this afternoon, the Prime Minister presented the government's deconfinement plan to the Senate. For the recoard, the National Assembly adopted the project 368 votes against 100 votes this past Tuesday April 28, 2020. Broadly speaking, he has announced the government's strategy relies on three steps: Protecting - Testing - Isolating.
A global strategy for the entire country revolving around 6 topics:
Edouard Philippe announced most of the strategy of the government to fight against the coronavirus epidemic in France will rely on tests. As a matter of fact, starting from May 11, the government wishes to perform 700,000 virologic tests per week throughout the country. In concrete words, it means, any person showing syndroms will have to be tested.
The contagiousness of the virus appearing 2 days after the first symptoms, if the test is positive, all "contact cases" will have to be tested if they have been close to the person contaminated, starting with the entourage. Moreover, sick will have to be isolated, that is to say, put on quarantine for 14 days, at home, but their relatives are also confined, or in hotels put at their disposal.
The Minister also added that so far, gradual deconfinement was still going from May 11: "We are getting ready for May 11, keeping an eye on indicators to check department by department that we can start exiting containment that day". Yet, it could change if the number of new cases per day is not in the range plan as May 11 is getting closer: "if indicators are not all green, we will not exit containment on May 11" Prime Minister says and encouraging French to remain thorough until then.
Edouard Philippe says the second step of the plan will have to start from May 11 and last until June 2, to check that measures implemented will curb the epidemic. Then, the government will propose a second and 3-week long step again that will take us to early summer. So far, in this first step, if French will be allowed out and go to work, gatherings will be limited to 10 people maximum.
During this first step, you will no longer have to show a derogatory trip certificate exlucding if you have to go over 100km from your home. Moreover, trips remain limited and only reserved for urgent reasons.
