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A lockdown weekend in Paris and the suburbs would be “inhumane,” according to Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo, who has hit back at President Emmanuel Macron’s government over the country’s vaccination campaign.
“No to foreclosure on weekends,” Hidalgo said at a press conference on Monday.
Her position puts her at odds with Prime Minister Jean Castex, who previously warned of further tightened restrictions in areas affected by the virus.
The socialist mayor called on President Macron to come to the aid of the city and quadruple the Covid-19 vaccination campaign.
She said the strategy should focus on the most at-risk and vulnerable members of the public, highlighting mapping carried out by the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM).
Hidalgo said local authorities have spoken out against the idea of a three-week lockdown, launched last week by his deputy mayor Emmanuel Grégoire as a possible way to speed up the reopening schedule.
Glimmer of hope
Over the weekend, Castex called on police chiefs in 20 departments to crack down on citizens who flout rules to stem the spread of the disease.
Macron hinted at a silver lining on Monday, suggesting that restrictive measures, particularly the 6 p.m. national curfew, could begin to be lifted in four to six weeks. This is the first time the President has mentioned a timetable for easing restrictions.
Hidalgo claimed more lockdown would not help Parisians, many of whom live in small apartments, adding that the same is true for people living in the greater Ile-de-France region, pointing to Seine-Saint- Denis. “It doesn’t solve much,” she added.
The mayor of Paris has made several proposals to the government, including encouraging teachers to keep the classroom with the window open and try to teach outside if possible, French media reported.
She said teaching students outdoors “would benefit from the return of sunny days,” suggesting that the public squares and gardens could be adopted and redeveloped into open learning spaces.
“Clear” strategy
In Paris, the infection rate now stands at 326 new cases, per 100,000 people, per week, Hidalgo said, the French national average is down to 222 cases per 100,000 people.
“We are at a pivotal moment and the health situation is not improving, it continues to deteriorate in Paris and its region,” said the mayor. “We need a clear health strategy.”
French health chiefs ruled out in mid-February a set of stricter restrictions to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic at least until the end of school holidays.
In mid-December, the government missed its target of 5,000 infections per day. The target had been a key part of lifting the restrictions on December 15 ahead of the Christmas and New Years holidays.
Nearly 20,000 new cases were reported on February 28, as the pandemic continues to rage in France, with the daily number of new cases hovering around 20,000 since the start of the year.
France has recorded 3.7 million coronavirus infections and more than 86,000 deaths. Health officials have delivered 2.9 million first doses of the vaccine, according to government coronavirus data.
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