The power struggle goes on! If in green departments inhabitants can enjoy parks again from May 11th, it is still not the case in red departments. In Paris, the gates to gardens and parks are still desperately closed. For several days, Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo has been renewing her request to the government to be authorized to open them again… unsuccessfully! This Thursday May 14th, it is the CSMF’s turn – a union trade for private doctors – to speak up and request the reopening of green spaces and to join Paris mayor.
In a release, the group of doctors explains the necessity of this measure as Parisians’ mental health is at stake. As a matter of fact, after two months of lockdown, these doctors think it is vital that Parisians are allowed to “get a breath of fresh air” again by going to gardens and parks. This is all the more necessary for “Parisians, especially those least privileged living in denser areas, who have not had the chance to breathe throughout confinement and could not bear it any longer” the CSMF warns in the release. “Let them breathe. Let us trust their civism and Paris mayor to organize all this” the group of doctors adds, as they also encourage the government to “think about the quick reopening of cafés and restaurants”.
Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo is getting a new support after sending several requests on that matter to the government. Requests that has been denied because of a too high health risk. A decision that Paris mayor does not understand, when she sees it is possible to ride the subway and that some sidewalks and banks in town are overcrowded. Anne Hidalgo also offered controlled reopening of gardens and parks with mandatory facemasks and filtering at the entrance to avoid overfrequentation of these places.
