The prefecture, through the chief of staff of the Prefect of Alpes-Maritimes, has provided anticipatory information regarding the progression of the health situation and the measures that will be taken in the coming hours.
The situation is not improving in Alpes-Maritimes. While not dramatic, its progression throughout the country is raising concerns at the highest levels of the State. The government is currently working on the release of a new decree expected to be published in the morning. It will apply across the entire country within the framework of the public health emergency.
Forget the color codes, the territory will be divided into two categories:
- simple health status
- enhanced health status (implementation of curfew and other measures already applied in the eight metropolitan areas on maximum alert…)
New rules to follow
This decree will therefore introduce additional measures to those already in effect. Among these additions, the prohibition of gatherings in public spaces, except for gatherings with protest or social purpose. Funerals will also be on the list of exceptions, as will work on construction sites. And there’s no shortage of those at the moment in the department, whether it be on the beach of Saint-Laurent du Var or especially in the valleys.
Venues hosting the public (halls, multipurpose rooms, tents…) for any type of meeting (professional, cultural…) can no longer offer cocktails or meals since it will be mandatory to keep one’s mask on permanently, even outdoors: “as soon as there is an event where we are likely to take off the mask even for a single moment, it will be prohibited,” specifies Rémy Recio, chief of staff of the prefecture of Alpes-Maritimes.
For bars and restaurants, customer tables must not accommodate more than six people. Each chair at a table must be spaced one meter apart, which will result in a reduced maximum seating capacity per service. The hours will not change, remaining 10 PM for bars and 12:30 AM for restaurants.
Establishments open to the public like museums, shopping centers, zoos, etc., must adhere to a density limit of four square meters per person. This means the return of queues and counting at the entrances of shopping centers.
A protocol for sports establishments
Major sports equipment venues might “perhaps” be able to breathe. “A protocol is being validated at the national level,” announces Rémi Recio, still awaiting official communication to consider its application. For now, gyms are condemned to remain closed at least until the beginning of next week, hoping for the validation of this new protocol.
We are thus talking about a decree aimed at strengthening certain health measures already in place. “The idea is to remain pragmatic and especially to foster a behavioral sanctification around barrier gestures. We live in a country of freedom, it is appropriate to be worthy and responsible for ourselves but also for our fellow citizens,” reminds the chief of staff of the Prefect, who also asks “to agree to face something we are beginning to know but undergoing. The State and economic actors dream of only one thing, for life to return to normal. But we know that this favorable outcome will require efforts that we are trying to implement proactively in the Maralpin territory.”
