“Summer Under Pressure” by Emmanuel Macron

In early June, Emmanuel Macron said he did not expect the administration of a “Gently Sloping Summer”. Then the head of state thought he could relaunch one last set of reforms, particularly those relating to pensions, by the end of the five-year period. But if the coast is too steep on this weekend of transit between July and August, it is because of the Covid-19 epidemic, which will occupy the bulk of the presidential holiday – Mr Macron joined Friday 30 July at his official residence in Ft. Preganson (Var).

summer vacation “It will not be a major truce in light of the health crisis”Government spokesperson, Gabriel Attal, admitted Wednesday. At least one defense council dedicated to managing the pandemic by videoconferencing, must be organized, in advance of August 11, before the official return of the executive, scheduled for August 25, during the Cabinet. mark “activated”, one agrees on the head of the state, which is dominated by the highly contagious variant delta.

Restriction areas

Despite the noticeable improvement in some European countries, such as the United Kingdom, where the heyday of this fourth wave has passed, France knows that the hardest part is yet to come regarding it. “The increase in our numbers is massive,” Minister worries. Thus, more than 20,000 new daily cases of Covid-19 have been listed nationally in recent days, while the threshold of 1,000 patients admitted to intensive care has been crossed on Thursday. There is no untouched area on Earth. “The map of France is now almost completely red. It is crimson red in some places. Even more than the previous wave, the fourth wave hits the whole area”Gabriel Attal was annoyed.

The situation abroad is the most “dramatic”, To use the expression Prime Minister Jan Castex. The first three patients were due to be transferred to the French capital on Saturday from Martinique, because hospitals were immediately saturated. The island is back in confinement, just like Reunion. A state of health emergency has also been declared in Guadeloupe, Saint Barthelemy and Saint Martin.

In metropolitan France, vacation spots are especially scrutinized. The compulsory outdoor mask has been reinstated on much of the Atlantic coast. The same restriction is in Haute-Corse or in Pyrénées-Orientales, where bars and restaurants must also close at 11pm in order to counter the spread of the virus. The list of restrictions is growing, but the government, for the time being, refuses to take measures at the national level, preferring to delegate response management separately. “Between now and September, there will be nothing else, and you will remain at the local level,” Minister says.

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