During a video conference about Covid-19 in the presence of elected officials and representatives of the medical community, the mayor of Nice announced a strengthening of health safety measures and called for the establishment of a national curfew from 8 PM to 6 AM to “limit social interactions at all costs.”
Even though the situation is not among the worst compared to other similar cities, it remains tense, and the peak of intensive care cases from the spring has been surpassed in recent days, forcing healthcare facilities to deprogram non-urgent medical and surgical activities.
This toughening tone is necessary to further discipline the people of Nice, whose behavior is not always as rigorous as the situation demands. Instructions have been given to the municipal police to ensure that daily checks are stricter. Christian Estrosi did not hesitate to criticize the lack of presence of the national police and asked the Prefect to increase this commitment.
New restrictive measures will include those already in place, notably the removal of the blue chairs from the promenade. The entrance to the Liberation market will be controlled to avoid gatherings of customers.
On its part, the city hall will move to 100% remote work for almost all municipal staff.
A new update will be provided within about ten days. The figures will indicate whether we need to move towards a tightening of measures or if a relaxation will be possible.
This decision will be made by the local public health council, composed of health actors from the territory, hospitals, clinics, city doctors, and the ARS, which will give an opinion in one direction or the other.
The ultimate goal remains unchanged: to have commercial activities up and running for the Christmas (and shopping) season. The pressure from traders is already palpable, and the economic stakes are enormous. Christian Estrosi cannot afford to alienate the support of a category that carries significant electoral weight.
Hence his commitment not to miss this opportunity.
