LIVE. The balance sheet approaches 26,000 deaths in France, 178 additional deaths in 24 hours
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe confirmed on Thursday that deconfinement would begin on Monday May 11, but that it will be "progressive" and accompanied by numerous restrictions and calls for caution, in a France "cut in two" between departments classified in green or red. "The gradual lifting of confinement can be initiated this Monday, May 11", given the health situation, the Prime Minister immediately announced from the Matignon hotel, after almost two months of complete lockdown in the country.
He warned, however, that France was "cut in two" according to the health situations between "green" and "red" departments, and called for the strict maintenance of protective gestures because "we cannot play smart with the virus".
A new progress report will also be carried out on June 2, in order to “move to a new phase” of deconfinement or, in the event of “bad results”, “draw the consequences”.
For the time being, the four regions of the northeast quarter -- Hauts de France, Ile-de-France, Grand Est and Bourgogne Franche-Comté -- as well as Mayotte are showing worrying indicators, either because of a still active circulation of the virus, either due to "tension" on hospital capacities. This concerns in particular the 12 million inhabitants of Ile-de-France, where the number of cases "remains higher than expected". In these red departments, "deconfinement is possible" from May 11 but "with certain restrictions: no opening of colleges, or parks and gardens", added the head of government.
A return to class for 6th and 5th graders is planned, however, from May 18 in departments classified as "green". Mr. Philippe and the ministers surrounding him have multiplied the warnings in order to avoid a resurgence of contamination, thus illustrating the progress of the country “on a ridge line”, according to the Prime Minister. “The progressive deconfinement must not be the mark of a drop in our vigilance”, insisted the head of government, invoking the spirit of “responsibility” of the French.
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7:57 p.m. The death toll is approaching 26,000 deaths in France, 178 additional deaths in 24 hours
The epidemic due to the coronavirus has killed 25,987 people in France since March 1, including 16,386 in hospitals and 9,601 in nursing homes and other medico-social establishments, announced Thursday the Ministry of Health https://dashboard.covid19.data.gouv.fr.
The daily toll stands at 178 dead. It was 278 deaths on Wednesday. The total number of serious cases in intensive care reached 2,961, or 186 less than the day before. Likewise, the number of people hospitalized for a coronavirus infection fell to 23,208 people (775 less than the day before).
The government of Edouard Philippe detailed the same day its deconfinement plan which should allow from Monday to loosen the noose established in an unprecedented way in France for seven weeks to fight against the coronavirus.
In total, only four regions - Ile-de-France, Hauts-de-France, Grand Est and Bourgogne-Franche Comté - remain classified as "red" in the map which takes into account three criteria (circulation of the virus and voltage hospital on resuscitation capacities and testing capacity). The deconfinement is also postponed to Mayotte.
7:27 p.m. First political reactions to the government's deconfinement plan
Here are the first political reactions after the presentation, by the government, of the terms of the end of confinement planned from May 11.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the Insoumis: "I want it to work. But I don't believe it. Seasonal workers will come back. The increase in the transport offer is unrelated to the population in work... Stacking in sight. How are people going to be sorted on the docks with and without authorization from their company?" (Twitter)
Christian Jacob, President of the Republicans: "The government does not take into account the importance of the economic challenge" and "locks itself into a multitude of details". On the form, "we are in confusion with the Prime Minister who intervenes while the bill is being debated in parliament" and that we "learn that Emmanuel Macron could speak on Sunday or Monday" (at the AFP)
Marine Le Pen, president of the National Rally: deconfinement "is good news" but "the government is still extremely vague". She regretted that the compulsory wearing of the mask "in the public space" had not been retained and called for "massive" tests (FranceInfo)
Richard Ferrand, President of the National Assembly: "By entrusting the mayor-prefect couple with the ability to allow access to beaches, lakes and nautical centers in compliance with health security requirements, Emmanuel Macron and Edouard Philippe have decided to trust the people in charge of the territories. It's the right choice" (Twitter)
Bruno Retailleau, leader of the LR senators, says "thank you to the government for hearing the Senate, which voted on Tuesday for case-by-case access to the beaches, in conjunction with the mayors" but asks for the wearing of a mask mandatory "in all public space" and "more massive screening" (Twitter)
Damien Abad, leader of the LR deputies: "Little by little the France of the territories nibbles on the Jacobin state, and that's good". He expressed "reservations" about the country's ability to carry out 700,000 tests per week and also wanted to test "asymptomatic cases" (BFMTV).
Hervé Marseille, leader of the centrist senators, was pleased to have been "heard" by the government on the cancellation of charges for companies with fewer than 10 employees affected by an administrative closure (Twitter)
Sébastien Chenu, deputy and spokesperson for the RN: "it remains quite vague and incoherent" on masks, tests, and borders "since there will be no health checks for nationals of the Schengen area". But he said he was "happy" that the beaches could reopen on a case-by-case basis. The RN demanded the reopening of the beaches. (on BFMTV)
Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, deputy and president of Debout la France, considers it “irresponsible” to “reopen schools in the + red + zones, in particular in Ile-de-France” and asks for a postponement of this reopening “in September.
7:21 p.m. Airbus deliveries fell 80% in April
Airbus deliveries fell 80% to 14 aircraft in April from a year earlier, due to the impact of the coronavirus crisis on production, according to figures released Thursday by the European aircraft manufacturer.
Orders have come to a virtual standstill since the containment measures put in place by governments to fight the pandemic have almost grounded the global fleet of aircraft. In financial difficulties, most airlines postponed their orders in order to preserve their cash.
In order to comply with the new health rules, Airbus has also been forced to review its production, by creating two separate teams - a blue team and a red team - in order to reduce the risk of contamination.
The aircraft manufacturer recorded nine orders in April from the Irish aircraft lessor Avolon, which however only replace orders previously canceled by the same group in order to delay its investments.
Since the beginning of the year, Airbus has delivered 136 aircraft compared to 232 over the same period in 2019.
The aircraft manufacturer also won 299 net orders over the period January to April.
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7:03 p.m. Roland-Garros reimburses all tickets
Roland-Garros, postponed from spring to autumn due to the coronavirus pandemic, a source of "uncertainty for all events bringing together the public everywhere in the world" , will "refund all tickets already purchased", announced the French Tennis Federation (FFT) on Thursday.
"The current health situation linked to Covid-19 and the scale of this pandemic are the source of uncertainty for all events bringing together the public all over the world", underlines the FFT, which organizes the tournament, in a message sent to all those who had purchased tickets for the 2020 edition before the announcement of its postponement.
"We have chosen to postpone Roland-Garros to the end of September, and in responsibility, we are currently working in collaboration with the French authorities to jointly define the appropriate measures, which will guarantee health and safety. of all the populations present", she explains.
"While waiting to have drawn all the outlines, the French Tennis Federation has taken the decision to cancel and refund all the tickets already purchased", she adds, without giving any details for the moment. precision on the "new terms and conditions related to ticketing".
Initially scheduled for May 24 to June 7, the Parisian Grand Slam is postponed to this stage at the end of September-beginning of October, probably from September 27 to October 11.
But world tennis has been on hold since early March and until at least mid-July, after the historic cancellation of Wimbledon.
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6:59 p.m. Generalization of telework at PSA: unions call for caution
Several unions in the PSA automotive group have called for caution after the manufacturer's announcement on Wednesday that remote work could become the "benchmark" for its non-production activities all over the world.
In a press release, FO, the group's first union in France, said on Thursday that it was "ready to study an evolution, without haste". "The evolution of the organization of work can only be done through co-construction and without cutting corners", while "we have not yet emerged from the health crisis", he warns.
"The prospect of generalizing this way of working in the long term is a real paradigm shift" which requires feedback on telework imposed during confinement as well as test phases for its implementation, adds FO.
"Be careful not to create a gap or a divide between the tertiary and R&D functions and the teams involved in the industrial and operational plan", also warns Olivier Lefebvre, central delegate of FO PSA.
The CFE-CGC, the group's 2nd union, also called for "not to draw too hasty conclusions" from the current period "because we are not out of it yet". She nevertheless says she is ready to "participate in the studies of this business project".
"We agree to talk about the future of the company and new working methods, but we must not limit ourselves to teleworking, we must rethink everything," Franck Don told AFP. , of the CFTC PSA (4th union), referring in particular to the relocation of certain activities. "To discuss all this, two months of negotiations seems short to me," he said.
PSA plans to discuss with the trade unions in May and June and aims for a "implementation in the summer for all the establishments in the world" of teleworking as a new standard.
The on-site presence would only be one day to a day and a half per week, on average, for employees in the tertiary sector, sales and research and development, according to this project.
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6:55 p.m. Early detection of "clusters" explains low mortality in Brittany
Brittany, which has nevertheless experienced two "clusters", is one of the regions least affected by mortality due to the coronavirus due to "the early detection" of these two epidemic outbreaks, doctors said on Thursday.
"The lessons we can learn about the rapid control of the few clusters we had in Brittany is the importance of early detection", said Pierre Tattevin, head of the infectious diseases department at the Rennes University Hospital during a press conference.
At the beginning of March, an epidemic focus ("cluster") was discovered in Morbihan around Crac'h. A second was identified in Bruz, near Rennes, leading the prefecture to issue an order classifying it as an "active virus circulation zone", with immediate measures "applicable to the municipality alone".
"We were lucky enough to have an attending physician who was vigilant, because he had seen several patients with fairly similar symptoms, and the school teachers who had also noticed that it was not was not normal,” he added. “We were able to close the school very quickly and isolate the first cases, which meant that there was no big epidemic behind”.
According to this doctor, this experience could be useful in the event of a hypothetical second wave. In addition, "if we use the tests widely, we will not miss epidemics that start", in particular because "we know the disease better and people are more alert. It will be easier than in February", he says.
Brittany, which has 3.3 million inhabitants, has recorded 223 Covid deaths, according to the ARS report released on Wednesday. Many Bretons, however, were worried about the arrival of Ile-de-France residents in their second home shortly before the announcement of confinement by the executive.
"The progression of the epidemic has been extremely slow in Brittany, contrary to the initial fears we had", assured Gilles Brassier, president of the medical commission of the Rennes University Hospital. Another explanatory factor, in addition to the rapid diagnosis of the two "clusters", the low density of the region (121 inhabitants / km2 according to INSEE) "compared to the great East and Ile-de-France", underlines t -he.
6:52 p.m. Edouard Philippe remains "cautious" about the reopening of cafes and restaurants
The Prime Minister, questioned about a reopening of cafes and restaurants in the departments classified in green, asked to be "collectively cautious" and returned the decision at "the beginning of at least June", Thursday during the presentation of the deconfinement plan.
"We must be collectively cautious, and the hypothesis of a restart of the epidemic would be so difficult to bear for our country, so dangerous for our country, that we want to proceed gradually", he explained , asked about a reopening of these businesses "which are essential for local activity" but which will not be able to reopen on May 11 due to the risk of the spread of the coronavirus.
"In the departments that remain green, the perspective you mention will possibly be considered from the beginning of June," he said.
"All the measures that are put in place must allow green departments to stay green. This is what everyone must do" so that these activities can restart, he said. underline.
"The distinction between green and red, which exists and will exist from May 11, will perhaps be accentuated from June," he had previously estimated.
"In the departments that will remain green, which for three weeks will have shown that we have the circulation of the virus under control, we will be able to go further on June 2. In those that have not gone green, it will not be possible to go that far."
For the time being, the four regions of the northeast quarter - Hauts de France, Ile-de-France, Grand Est and Bourgogne Franche-Comté - as well as Mayotte are showing worrying indicators, either due to a still active circulation of the virus, either due to "tension" on hospital capacities.
6:49 p.m. Fall in the new number of deaths in Italy
The epidemic due to the coronavirus has caused 274 more deaths in 24 hours in Italy, against 369 the day before, while the number of new cases has slightly decreased, to 1,401 Thursday against 1,444 Wednesday, according to the report communicated by Civil Protection.
In total, Italy, the third most affected country after the United States and the United Kingdom for mortality, now deplores 29,958 deaths. The number of confirmed cases stands at 215,858. The carriers of the disease are to date 89,624, while they were 91,528 on Wednesday.
The number of patients in intensive care increased from 1,333 to 1,311 between Wednesday and Thursday. Healings go from 93,245 to 96,276.
6:33 p.m. 539 additional deaths in the United Kingdom in 24 hours
The balance sheet of the coronavirus epidemic in the United Kingdom has increased by 539 deaths over a period of 24 hours for a total of 30,615 deaths, has Foreign Minister Dominic Raab announced on Thursday.
These figures collected by public health agencies in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, take into account deaths in hospitals and nursing homes following confirmed cases of COVID- 19. They were arrested at 4:00 p.m. GMT on Wednesday.
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6:26 p.m. More than 400 million expired masks in stock at the start of the crisis
The State found more than 400 million expired masks in its stocks at the start of the coronavirus crisis, of which 160 million were deemed reusable, said Thursday Edouard Philippe during a press conference.
The Prime Minister was questioned on information from Le Monde published on Wednesday, according to which the State services discovered that "millions of masks" were destroyed at the very time when the epidemic was in full swing.
"What happened is that a number of masks that had been ordered and stored a long time ago had passed their expiry date, and sometimes for a very long time," said explained Mr. Philippe, alluding to the large stock built up from the mid-2000s.
The State inventory included 75 million surgical masks "which had expired in December 2019", according to Mr. Philippe.
"When you find them in the spring of 2020, and they expired in December 2019, you can tell yourself that it may be absurd to destroy them", underlined the Prime Minister, specifying that they had therefore been tested by the General Directorate of Armaments (DGA) and the National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM) and finally kept.
M. Philippe also mentioned a stock of "360 million" surgical "masks whose expiry dates were prior" to December 2019.
"We looked at what could be used. There weren't many because they were already very old," he said.
But "a stock of 85 million has been recovered" and will be used, "not as surgical masks but as masks for the general public", continued the Prime Minister.
"The others", that is to say about 280 million, "are no longer usable and are intended to be destroyed when the time comes", he concluded.
The government indicated in March 2020 that it had a total of 117 million surgical masks, while the stock was around 1 billion ten years earlier.
6:04 p.m. Edouard Philippe evokes "unprecedented fluidity" with Emmanuel Macron
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe brushed aside rumors of disagreements and tensions with Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, citing "trust" and "fluidity" almost without "precedent" with the head of state, castigating these comments in the midst of the coronavirus crisis in the country.
"For three years, I have always been able to observe and rejoice in our relations with a confidence, a fluidity which I believe has few precedents", he declared during a conference of press devoted to the government's deconfinement strategy.
"It always does and I hope it always will and I believe it always will," he added. “But allow me to tell you that in the times we are living in, in the midst of a health crisis of considerable magnitude, while French men and women are doing an incredible job to save their fellow citizens, spending more than two seconds ( ...) to wonder about this kind of subject leaves me very very cautious and I think that our fellow citizens don't care and I must say that from this point of view I feel very French", declared Edouard Philip.
Several media have reported in recent days on tensions and disagreements within the executive couple, rumors that have resurfaced at regular intervals since the start of the five-year term, fueling speculation about a possible change at the head of Matignon - speculation still denied.
6 p.m. More than half of the shops on the Champs-Elysées will reopen on Monday
More than half of the shops located on the avenue des Champs-Elysées in Paris will reopen next Monday after several weeks of closure as part of the containment measures decided by the government to fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
The Prime Minister, Edouard Philippe, announced on Thursday a gradual lifting of the confinement implemented on March 17 in order in particular to restore oxygen to a breathless economy.
"The signs of the Champs-Élysées have decided to open in a coordinated manner, from Monday to Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.", announces the Comité Champs-Élysées, the association in charge of promoting the famous Parisian avenue, adding that all retail businesses would be open within 15 days.
While Paris remains classified in the "red zone" given the still large number of patients affected by the virus, the signs of the Champs-Elysées commit in a press release to do everything possible to guarantee the health safety of employees shops and visitors.
5:57 p.m. Donald Trump tested negative for coronavirus after infection at White House
US President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence both tested negative for novel coronavirus after positive diagnosis a member of the U.S. military working on the White House campus, a White House spokesperson said Thursday.
According to CNN, this military official was assigned to Donald Trump's personal service.
"We were recently notified by the White House Medical Unit that a member of the United States military, who works on the White House campus, has tested positive for coronavirus.
The president and vice president have since tested negative for the virus and are in good health," spokesman Hogan Gidley said in a statement.
This is the second time since the start of the epidemic that the American president has been officially tested for coronavirus.
He had been previously in March after having been in contact, during a dinner in Florida, with a Brazilian official, who was later diagnosed positive.
5:55 p.m. State of health emergency: Emmanuel Macron will seize the Constitutional Council
Emmanuel Macron will seize the Constitutional Council on the extension of the state of health emergency, just after the adoption of the bill by the Parliament, we learned Thursday in his entourage.
"The President has decided to seize the Constitutional Council immediately after the vote of the Parliament", which must intervene by the end of the week, in order to ensure the constitutionality of the text, specified the source, confirming a information from BFMTV.
The bill provides in particular for the monitoring of coronavirus patients, and the possibility of quarantine or isolation on arrival on national territory in certain cases.
MPs must consider some 600 amendments by Friday at first reading. With the senators, they will then try to agree on a compromise version of the bill. In the event of failure, the text will have to make a final shuttle between the two chambers, for final adoption on Sunday at the end of the day, the day before the start of deconfinement.
The state of health emergency should be extended until July 10, and not until July 24 as originally planned.
Very critical of the bill, particularly with regard to respect for civil liberties, senators LR and PS have already announced their intention to refer the matter to the Constitutional Council.
Emmanuel Macron had already seized the Constitutional Council in March 2019 for the "anti-thugs" bill, which had been criticized by several elected representatives of the majority in the midst of the "yellow vests" crisis.
5:52 p.m. Corsica: A negative Covid test for each arrival from June 23 desired
The President of the Executive Council of Corsica, Gilles Simeoni wishes that a "green pass" based on a negative Covid test, conditions from of June 23 the entry into Corsica of any non-resident person to make the Island of Beauty a "trusted destination".
In a 40-page report detailing his plan for a gradual exit from confinement for Corsica, the autonomist Gilles Simeoni wants the implementation from June 23 and for a renewable period of three weeks of "a device conditioning access to the territory upon presentation by the person requesting to enter Corsica of a health certificate + green pass + "corresponding to a negative covid test.
"The weeks separating us from the date of June 23 will be devoted to the implementation of this device, on the medical, technical, legal and financial levels" in order to have in particular "fast and reliable Covid-19 PCR tests "and" an application to take advantage of it, "he predicts.
This would concern all "people outside the resident population: Corsicans from the diaspora and other affinity tourists, leisure tourists, professional tourists", he specifies.
"This + conditioned + access would limit the risks for the person entering to be contaminated or contaminating", he argues.
According to him, this system would make it possible to "build a credible, attractive and secure tourist offer in terms of health" and to "establish Corsica as a + trusted destination + in view of the risks generated by Covid-19".
This device would come after a "massification of tests" for the island resident population between May 11 and June 23, with 3,500 to 3,600 weekly tests in Corsica as part of the announcement by Prime Minister, Edouard Philippe, of the implementation from May 11 of 700,000 weekly tests across France.
Since March 20, a prefectural decree limits "only to essential cases" the transport of passengers departing from and arriving at Corsican ports and airports. Prefectural exemptions must be presented to enter or leave Corsica.
In total, 72% of tourists in Corsica come from the French mainland, mainly from Ile-de-France and the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, specifies the report of the executive council. The Covid-19 epidemic has killed 67 people in Corsica, according to health authorities.
5:51 p.m. Edouard Philippe anticipates "a general impoverishment" in France
Edouard Philippe affirmed Thursday that France, "once the health crisis has passed, will respond to the economic crisis and the general impoverishment which will intervene", during his detailed presentation of the deconfinement plan.
Responding to a question on whether or not to increase working hours after the crisis, the Prime Minister said he was "focused on the health crisis". But "I believe that if we want to regain our prosperity, to overcome this milestone and this hard blow for France, we will have to collectively give ourselves the means through work, solidarity, inventiveness", he said. added.
5:34 p.m. Coronavirus: instructions for isolating patients and contact cases
From the emergence of symptoms to positive screening tests requiring isolation, the government clarified on Thursday the instructions that will prevail from May 11 for Covid-19 patients and people in contact with them.
First step: symptoms. "If you have symptoms suggestive of a Covid-19 infection (cough, fever, respiratory discomfort, loss of taste or smell), you must act, do not wait for it to pass", insisted the minister Health Olivier Véran.
You are then invited to contact "immediately your doctor" or, if necessary, a doctor on duty or the 15th to be referred to another doctor if necessary.
Second step: testing. If the doctor deems it appropriate, "he will prescribe a screening test by directing you to a hospital, a city laboratory, a drive, or at home via a mobile team", added the minister. A test that will be 100% covered by Social Security.
Third stage: isolation, even if the government has decided not to make it compulsory, leaving it to the responsibility of the French.
The general rule will be isolation at home, although "depending on your situation", the doctor may offer isolation outside the home, for example in a hotel, with the support of "territorial support cells".
If the isolation is carried out at home, you will already have to stay there while waiting for the test result. And if the test is positive, continue it “up to two days after symptoms have healed, that is to say on average for 8 to 10 days”, specified Olivier Véran.
If you do not live alone, it will be recommended to stay in a specific room, avoid contact with other occupants, ventilate regularly, wash your hands frequently, avoid touching objects that can be touched by others, to disinfect regularly touched surfaces such as door handles or mobile phones.
"If you are in the presence of your spouse, for example, your doctor will advise you to wear a mask at all times", insisted the Minister of Health, noting that these masks available in pharmacies would then be covered at 100% by health insurance. It will also be discouraged to receive visits, except home help for example.
Fourth step: find the contact cases. When a patient is identified, the Health Insurance or the Regional Health Agency will contact him to carry out an "investigation" and draw up the list of people he could have infected.
These people will then receive a call to inform them that they are "contact cases". "If the risk is proven, that you have for example shared a lunch without respecting the rules of distancing, you will be invited to stay at home in isolation, as for a sick person", and to take your temperature twice a day, a underlined the Minister.
"If you can telecommute, fine, if you can't, you will be issued a work stoppage". Seven days after the last presumed contact with the identified patient, it will be necessary to be tested. Because "7 days is the right time to flush out the virus, before that may be too early to find it", noted Olivier Véran.
Even if the test is negative, the isolation will still have to last "on average 7 additional days", except in certain cases where the doctor may "propose to lighten it".
5:32 p.m. The State "will continue to be present" for companies, reassures Bruno Le Maire
The State "will continue to be present" for companies after the start of deconfinement on Monday, assured the Minister of Economy Bruno Le Maire during the presentation of the government's deconfinement plan.
In particular, he confirmed the extension until the end of May of the solidarity fund for small businesses and the self-employed, as well as the exemption from social charges between March and May for small businesses that had to close by administrative decision.
"The state will be at the side of entrepreneurs", regardless of the size of their business, he added. To deal with the crisis, the government has put in place an emergency plan of 110 billion euros to support businesses and employees.
The confinement, which lasted eight weeks, seriously damaged the French economy, with a contraction in GDP of 5.8% in the first quarter, and a second quarter which looks worse.
"Over the past three months, we have lost a lot of growth and a lot of jobs," said Bruno Le Maire. "We must therefore relaunch economic activity (...) under conditions of maximum health security for employees."
5:31 p.m. Christophe Castaner evokes a resumption of religious ceremonies with the public "by the end of the month"
The Minister of the Interior Christophe Castaner said Thursday to work, with the leaders of the cults, "under the conditions of a resumption of religious ceremonies” with the public “by the end of the month”.
"As announced by the Prime Minister in the Senate on Monday, we will work with all religious leaders on the conditions for a resumption of religious ceremonies by the end of the month", he said during a press conference presenting the details of the deconfinement plan.
Edouard Philippe announced earlier this week that the government was "ready to study" this resumption of offices in the presence of the public, on May 29 instead of the date of June 2 previously established. A response to the pressing demands of the Catholic episcopate, who notably wanted to be able to celebrate Pentecost on May 31.
The conference of bishops has twice presented the government with a deconfinement plan in churches, ensuring that it can respect physical distancing measures.
The announcement of the date of May 29 by Edouard Philippe, last Monday, caused a stir within several Muslim authorities, some preferring to wait until June 2 for a gradual reopening of mosques.
The Paris mosque for its part has warned against "discrimination" against Muslims, pleading for a resumption on May 24, the probable date of the feast marking the end of Ramadan.
Jews celebrate Shavuot from May 28 to 30. Since mid-March, churches have remained open, but no public services are allowed. Mosques and synagogues are closed.
5:24 p.m. Deconfinement "must not be a sign of a relaxation of our vigilance", warns Philippe
The deconfinement planned from May 11 "must not be a sign of a relaxation of our vigilance" , warned Edouard Philippe Thursday during the presentation of the government's plan, asking for "discipline" over time.
Monday “will be the start of a new phase”, that of a “restart of part of our social life”, rejoiced the Prime Minister. But "it will require discipline and responsibility from everyone", because "it will be over time that we will succeed in controlling the epidemic", he said.
"The gradual deconfinement should not be a sign of a relaxation of our vigilance", warned Mr. Philippe.
5:01 p.m. Shopping centers of more than 40,000 m2 will be able to reopen, except in Ile-de-France
Shopping centers of more than 40,000 square meters in France, the reopening of which was uncertain, "may reopen" on May 11 "in agreement with the prefects, except in Ile-de-France" due to persistent health risks, announced Thursday the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire.
In Ile-de-France, "we believe that the health risks (...) lead us to postpone their opening", explained Bruno Le Maire during the presentation of the government's deconfinement plan.
4:59 p.m. 400,000 companies will reopen on Monday, representing 875,000 employees
Around 400,000 companies will reopen on Monday on the first day of deconfinement, including stores located in large shopping centers, with the exception of those on Ile -de-France, said Thursday the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire.
On the first day of deconfinement on May 11, "400,000 companies representing 875,000 jobs will reopen", declared Mr. Le Maire during a government press conference at the Hôtel Matignon on the terms of the end of eight weeks of confinement which have brought entire sectors of the economy to a standstill.
"77,000 hairdressing salons, 33,000 clothing stores, 15,000 florists, 3,300 booksellers will reopen, it is social and economic life that will be able to restart," said the minister.
Shopping centers of more than 40,000 square meters in France, whose reopening was uncertain, "may reopen" on May 11 "in agreement with the prefects, except in Ile-de-France" due to persistent health risks, he added.
Indeed in the Paris region, "we believe that the health risks (...) lead us to postpone their opening", explained Bruno Le Maire.
Before the National Assembly on April 28, the Prime Minister announced that all businesses should reopen on May 11, except bars and restaurants, but he was less categorical about large shopping centers, likely to 'encourage customers to come from afar and to stir up a lot of people.
The federation of the sector, the National Council of Shopping Centers (CNCC), promised last week to "understand the reasoning and methods of calculation used and then to provide the answers expected by the prefects".
4:57 p.m. Opening of beaches and lakes on a case-by-case basis, with the authorization of the prefect
The opening of "beaches and lakes" will be possible on a case-by-case basis with the authorization of the prefect, the Minister of Interior Christophe Castaner.
"The general rule is closure", said the minister, but it will be possible to have access to these sites "at the request of the mayors with the authorization of the prefect" of each sector concerned, he said. -he adds.
Christophe Castaner has also confirmed that individual sports practice outdoors will be authorized but that "covered sports places will remain closed".
“Libraries, museums, media libraries will be able to reopen”, continued the Minister, stressing that barrier gestures and physical distance must be respected there.
On the other hand, "cinemas and performance halls will remain closed", he said, recalling further "that no event of more than 5,000 people" can take place before September.
4:56 p.m. “The social and employer contributions of March, April and May completely abolished for closed companies”, announces Bruno Le Maire
4:55 p.m. "The borders remain closed until further notice", says Christophe Castaner
The restrictions at the borders of France with the countries of the European area (European Union, Shengen, United Kingdom) will be "extended until at least June 15" and the borders with non-European countries "will remain closed until further notice", Interior Minister Christophe Castaner announced on Thursday.
With European countries, the free movement of cross-border workers will be preserved, he added. In addition, the fortnight measures “for any French or foreign person entering France”, permitted by the bill extending the state of health emergency, “at this stage will not be applied inside the space European, "except Overseas and, if we decide, in Corsica", he added.
Finally, to cross borders with neighboring European countries, "certain additional derogations will be made possible" such as those concerning "custody, visitation or schooling of a child" or "a compelling economic reason" including seasonal agricultural workers, he added.
4:50 p.m. A new certificate for trips of more than 100km
From May 11, "it will be possible to go out freely in the street without a certificate", within a limit of 100 km around your residence , but beyond this limit, "a new certificate" will be necessary, announced Thursday the Minister of the Interior.
From May 11, "it will be possible to go out freely in the street without certification", declared Christophe Castaner during the press briefing at the end of the Council of Ministers. A limit of 100 km "as the crow flies" around the place of residence is however imposed. "To allow control of the 100 km rule", "a new certificate will be published" to go beyond this limit, he said.
"This limit only applies if you leave your department of residence. Traveling more than 100 km within your department of residence remains possible", nuanced Christophe Castaner.
"Checks will be organized in stations, air terminals or on certain sections of motorways and main roads. They may also be organized on arrival at tourist destinations", warned the Minister of the Interior.
He cited a car check as an example: “Either it is a journey of more than 100 km outside his department of residence and you will have to provide this completed certificate, or it is a journey of less than 100 km and a simple proof of address will be sufficient - the insurance certificate, an invoice, a checkbook".
"Here again, we are counting on the good citizenship and the responsibility of the French, but the offenders will be sanctioned: the amount of the fine does not change, 135 euros likely to increase in the event of a repeat offence", warned Christophe Castaner.
Like the travel certificates during confinement, the new certificate will be accessible via the website of the Ministry of the Interior in paper or digital format.
4:48 p.m. Wearing a mask will be compulsory in public transport, confirms Elisabeth Borne
Wearing a mask will be compulsory in public transport for passengers from the age of 11 and offenders will be liable to a fine of 135 euros, said Minister Elisabeth Borne on Thursday when presenting the government's deconfinement plan.
"General public" masks will be made available in public transport "in the first days of deconfinement to distribute them as a supplement to people who could not obtain them", added Ms. Borne.
In Ile-de-France, classified as "red" because the number of cases there is "slowly decreasing", access to public transport will also be "reserved during peak hours for people holding a certificate from their employer or having a compelling reason to move" (health, summons to justice, support for children), added the Minister for Ecological Transition, who is responsible for Transport.
"The objective is to increase supply as quickly as possible and to control demand very strongly to facilitate respect for physical distancing" in order to ensure the "protection of users and transport personnel".
The supply of "local transport" (metro, bus, TER and RER) "will increase significantly with a minimum of 50% of the usual capacities and a target of normal supply by the beginning of June", he said. -she detailed, recalling that in Ile-de-France the RATP expected that the offer would increase from 30% currently to 75% "from Monday".
But compliance with the rules of physical distancing requires very strong limiting of attendance. In Ile-de-France for example, "the objective is that attendance, which is 6% today, remains limited to 15%", she explained.
Hence this limitation to peak hours for business trips and compelling reasons.
With this in mind, teleworking "for all those who can will remain the rule" and the arrival and departure times of employees must be spread out to limit the crowds at peak times.
Carpooling, and "alternative mobility" and in particular the practice of cycling are also "encouraged" to "limit car traffic and the risk of traffic jams as much as possible".
Long-distance travel will continue to be limited and the offer "voluntarily reduced". A certificate will be required for trips of more than 100 kilometres.
TGV and Intercités traffic, currently 7%, "will increase to 20 to 30% on May 11 to reach 40% of the usual offer at the end of May", detailed Elisabeth Borne.
Train occupancy will be capped at 50% of the total number of seats and reservations are compulsory.
4:45 p.m. One million schoolchildren welcomed by 130,000 teachers from next week
Wearing a mask will be compulsory in public transport for passengers from the age of 11 and offenders will be liable to a fine of 135 euros, said Minister Elisabeth Borne on Thursday when presenting the government's deconfinement plan.
"General public" masks will be made available in public transport "in the first days of deconfinement to distribute them as a supplement to people who could not obtain them", added Ms. Borne.
In Ile-de-France, classified as "red" because the number of cases there is "slowly decreasing", access to public transport will also be "reserved during peak hours for people holding a certificate from their employer or having a compelling reason to move" (health, summons to justice, support for children), added the Minister for Ecological Transition, who is responsible for Transport.
"The objective is to increase supply as quickly as possible and to control demand very strongly to facilitate respect for physical distancing" in order to ensure the "protection of users and transport personnel".
The supply of "local transport" (metro, bus, TER and RER) "will increase significantly with a minimum of 50% of the usual capacities and a target of normal supply by the beginning of June", he said. -she detailed, recalling that in Ile-de-France the RATP expected that the offer would increase from 30% currently to 75% "from Monday".
But compliance with the rules of physical distancing requires very strong limiting of attendance. In Ile-de-France for example, "the objective is that attendance, which is 6% today, remains limited to 15%", she explained.
Hence this limitation to peak hours for business trips and compelling reasons.
With this in mind, teleworking "for all those who can will remain the rule" and the arrival and departure times of employees must be spread out to limit the crowds at peak times.
Carpooling, and "alternative mobility" and in particular the practice of cycling are also "encouraged" to "limit car traffic and the risk of traffic jams as much as possible".
Long-distance travel will continue to be limited and the offer "voluntarily reduced". A certificate will be required for trips of more than 100 kilometres.
TGV and Intercités traffic, currently 7%, "will increase to 20 to 30% on May 11 to reach 40% of the usual offer at the end of May", detailed Elisabeth Borne.
Train occupancy will be capped at 50% of the total number of seats and reservations are compulsory.
4:40 p.m. "The RATP will go from 30% to 75% of traffic next Monday," announces Elisabeth Borne
4:38 p.m. A bonus of 1,000 to 1,500 euros for all employees of retirement homes
The government does not provide "additional flexibility" in nursing homes, in order to "continue to do everything to protect vulnerable elderly people “, announced Thursday the Minister of Health Olivier Véran.
"Visits from relatives can continue if the situation of the establishment allows it", he continued, in a speech detailing the measures of progressive deconfinement from May 11. He announced “exceptional” aid of 475 million euros for establishments for the elderly, as well as a bonus of 1,500 euros for all nursing home staff in the 33 departments “where the epidemic will have been the strongest” and 1,000 euros for all others.
4:30 p.m. "No mandatory confinement" but "very strict rules of caution" for the most vulnerable
The government does not provide for "additional flexibility" in nursing homes, in order to "continue at all do to protect vulnerable elderly people,” Health Minister Olivier Véran announced on Thursday.
"Visits from relatives can continue if the situation of the establishment allows it, under the same conditions as today", he continued, in a speech detailing the measures of progressive deconfinement from of May 11.
Faced with "a difficult situation", he announced aid of 475 million euros to support the 7,000 accommodation establishments for the elderly, as well as a bonus of 1,500 euros for all the staff of the Ehpad of the 33 departments “where the epidemic will have been the strongest” and 1,000 euros for all the others.
This bonus, "tax-free", will be paid "in the coming weeks" to all staff, "regardless of their status, to enhance their unfailing commitment during this crisis", he added.
The staff of establishments welcoming people with disabilities, “when health insurance participates in their financing”, will also benefit, specified Mr. Véran.
4:20 p.m. Deconfinement map: four regions in red including Ile-de-France, plus Mayotte
Four regions, Ile-de-France, Hauts-de-France, Grand Est and Bourgogne-Franche -County, as well as the department of Mayotte, have been classified in red on the deconfinement map, announced Thursday the Minister of Health Olivier Véran.
In these territories that have remained in red, the exit from confinement will be on a stricter basis than in the rest of the country, which will benefit from a broader deconfinement.
Among the regions in red, the deconfinement measures will be more severe in Ile-de-France, while in Mayotte, the deconfinement has been postponed beyond May 11, given the circulation of the virus more active in these territories, previously said Prime Minister Edouard Philippe.
All the other regions and other overseas departments are green and will benefit from a wider deconfinement.
4:15 p.m. "France is ready to test massively", says Olivier Véran
France "is ready to test massively" people showing symptoms of the coronavirus as well as those with whom they have been in contact, from the start of deconfinement on May 11, the Minister of Health Olivier Véran announced on Thursday.
The government has released for the first time a map of France of capacities by department in virological tests, or PCR tests. They are the key to deconfinement, because they must make it possible to detect and isolate all patients.
On this criterion, all of France is in green, which means according to the legend of the map that the "coverage rate of estimated test needs on May 11" is greater than 100%.
"The screening capacity is today at the level of the estimated needs", which are 700,000 tests per week, summarized the minister, adding that "the territories will be in their entirety able to test widely".
"In recent weeks, everything has been done to be able to screen vulnerable people, but also all symptomatic people and contact cases", he recalled. Nevertheless, "from theory to practice there may be gaps", he agreed.
"This is why I invite French people who have been prescribed a PCR test and who encounter difficulties of any kind in carrying out this test, to contact the toll-free number 0800 130 000, in order to allow us to solve any problems without delay," he added.
4:08 p.m. "In Ile-de-France, the number of cases remains high", affirms Edouard Philippe
The number of cases of people infected with the coronavirus "declines" in Ile-de-France but "remains higher than we expected,” Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Thursday.
"In Ile-de-France, the number of cases is falling, but it remains higher than we hoped. We can deconfine but the fact that there is still virus in circulation, that this region is very dense and that there are many exchanges there, imposes a reinforced discipline on us”, he declared while presenting the government’s deconfinement plan.
He specified that the government was going to "impose very strict rules" on public transport in Paris and in the departments of the region, which "are essential and will not be closed".
These rules will be in force "at least the first three weeks" of deconfinement "to prevent them from becoming vectors for the spread of the epidemic", he indicated.
"I do not rule out that we decide on additional measures if the physical distancing measures were not sufficiently respected and if the situation did not improve", warned Edouard Philippe during a press conference at Matignon.
The situation in Ile-de-France "requires the greatest vigilance", indicated the Minister of Health Olivier Véran, calling on residents to "limit their travel to what is strictly necessary" and companies to maintain the measures of protection.
“We want to avoid a resumption of the epidemic at all costs,” added the minister.
4:07 p.m. No opening of colleges in the departments classified as "red", specifies the Prime Minister
Edouard Philippe confirmed Thursday that the colleges could not reopen in the departments classified in "red", where the coronavirus "is still actively circulating and where the hospital is still under great tension".
In these departments, "deconfinement is possible" from May 11 but "with certain restrictions: no opening of colleges, or parks and gardens", added the Prime Minister. A return to class for 6th and 5th graders is planned from May 18 in departments classified as "green".
4:05 p.m. "France is divided in two, between the green and red departments"
Edouard Philippe confirmed on Thursday that the deconfinement would begin on Monday May 11, but that it will be "progressive" and accompanied by numerous restrictions and invitations with caution, in a France "cut in two" between departments classified in green or in red.
"The gradual lifting of containment can be initiated this Monday, May 11", given the health situation, the Prime Minister immediately announced from the Hôtel de Matignon, after almost two months of complete lockdown in the country.
He warned, however, that France was "cut in two" according to the health situations between "green" and "red" departments, and called for the strict maintenance of protective gestures because "we cannot play smart with the virus". A new stage point will also be carried out on June 2, in order to “move to a new phase” of deconfinement or, in the event of “bad results”, “draw the consequences”.
For the time being, the four regions of the northeast quarter -- Hauts de France, Ile-de-France, Grand Est and Bourgogne Franche-Comté -- as well as Mayotte are showing worrying indicators, either because of a still active circulation of the virus, either due to "tension" on hospital capacities.
This concerns in particular the 12 million inhabitants of Ile-de-France, where the number of cases "remains higher than expected".
In these red departments, "deconfinement is possible" from May 11 but "with certain restrictions: no opening of colleges, or parks and gardens", added the head of government.
A return to class for 6th and 5th graders is planned, however, from May 18 in departments classified as "green".
M. Philippe and the ministers surrounding him have multiplied the warnings in order to avoid a resurgence of contamination, thus illustrating the progress of the country "on a ridge line", according to the Prime Minister.
"The progressive deconfinement must not be the mark of a decline in our vigilance", insisted the head of government, invoking the spirit of "responsibility" of the French.
4:00 p.m. The deconfinement will take place this Monday, May 11, announces Edouard Philippe
"The gradual lifting of confinement can be initiated this Monday, May 11", in view of the health situation, confirmed Thursday the Prime Minister Edouard Philippe by presenting the government's deconfinement plan.
He warned, however, that France was "cut in two" according to the health situations between "green" and "red" departments, and called for the strict maintenance of protective gestures.
In these red departments, "deconfinement is possible" from May 11 but "with certain restrictions: no opening of colleges, or parks and gardens", added the head of government. A return to class for 6th and 5th graders is planned, however, from May 18 in departments classified as "green".
Edouard Philippe mentioned in particular the department of Mayotte, where the circulation of the virus requires a postponement of deconfinement, and Ile-de-France, where "the number of cases is slowly falling but remains high, higher than we hoped".
In this region, “given the trend which remains well oriented, we can deconfine”, specified the head of government.
"There will be no compulsory confinement for vulnerable people after May 11", also declared Edouard Philippe.
But he asked people "old or sick with pathologies such as obesity, diabetes" or suffering from "respiratory failure" to "keep as far as possible very strict rules of caution", such as " those of the last two months.
3:24 p.m. - The city of Paris is preparing to reopen its museums from June 16
Subject to changes in the health situation, the City of Paris has announced its "provisional" timetable for the reopening of its museums. "Paris Musées" which hopes to reopen the Bourdelle museum, the Paris Liberation museum-general Leclerc museum-Jean Moulin museum, the museum of Romantic Life and the house of Balzac on June 16, "in the best conditions for the staff and the public". The exhibitions that were presented there before the closure will be extended. In July, the Museum of Modern Art in Paris and the Cognacq-Jay Museum should reopen, temporary exhibitions will not resume until the fall. The schedule will be confirmed in early June
The museums under construction, Carnavalet (History of Paris), at the Palais Galliéra (fashion) and at the house of Victor Hugo will reopen later. The Zadkine Museum will open in the fall.
3:15 p.m. - Japan approves the use of remdesivir as a treatment
Japan has approved the use of remdesivir, an experimental antiviral developed by Gilead Sciences as a treatment for COVID-19, announced Thursday the Japanese Ministry of Health. This decision was announced three days after the filing of an application by the American pharmaceutical company.
Remdesivir will be prescribed to patients with severe symptoms of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 that emerged late last year in central China, an official with Ministry of Health during a press briefing. Gilead's antiviral already received authorization last Friday from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the American health authority, as an emergency treatment against COVID-19.
On April 30, Gilead announced that remdesivir had improved the condition of patients with COVID-19 and published data suggesting that it was more effective when given early in the course of treatment. infection. Remdesivir is the subject of numerous trials and studies but the information published in recent weeks is mixed as to its effectiveness.
The American group announced on Tuesday that it was in discussions with manufacturers of generic drugs, in particular in India and Pakistan, in order to produce remdesivir in large quantities. Japan has to date just over 16,000 cases of contamination with the new coronavirus and just under 800 deaths.
3:13 p.m. - The lockdown has caused an increase in anxiety in France
The general level of anxiety rose in France during the lockdown and then dropped significantly after a few days thanks "no doubt" to a protective effect of this measure, according to a study published Thursday. The survey conducted by researchers from the Public Health France health agency and the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Santé Publique (EHESP) indicates a skyrocketing level of anxiety among adults a week after the start of confinement, the 17th of March.
The first wave of the survey (March 23-25) shows that more than a quarter of people over 18 suffer from anxiety: 26.7% of people questioned on the internet have a "HAD" score (scale internationally recognized for measuring anxiety) above 10, which means an anxious state, compared to only 13.5% in a comparable survey from 2017. According to the study, women are generally more anxious: nearly a third of them (31.6%) have an "HAD" score greater than 10 compared to only one in five men (21.3%). The researchers do not explain this difference but recall that "we find in the scientific literature, apart from epidemic situations, anxiety states that are systematically higher in women". They also note that in the second wave of the survey carried out a week later (March 30-April 1), anxiety drops significantly for everyone, men and women alike. According to this second part, 21.5% of the population can be described as anxious (16.6% of men, 26% of women).
This drop suggests a "protective" effect of confinement. “By effectively reducing the risk of exposure to the virus, confinement undoubtedly contributed to the drop in the level of general anxiety”, underline the authors. According to the study, the elderly, more likely to suffer from severe forms of Covid-19, appear to be the least anxious: the share of anxious people is less than 20% among 50-64 year olds and over 65 year olds but exceeds 30% among 25-34 year olds. This paradox, already noted in a Chinese study, could be explained by the tendency of young adults "to actively seek information on the disease via social networks".
If the level of anxiety generally ebbs between the first and second week of confinement, it remains very high for certain disadvantaged categories: those who declare difficult financial situations or live in promiscuity. For them, it seems much more difficult to adapt to the new situation, underlines the study. "The lifting of containment, initiated to respond to the necessary restart of economic activity, should raise questions about the future evolution of anxiety states in the general population", conclude the investigators. Other waves of surveys to measure anxiety are planned by Public Health France
2:50 p.m. - 3.169 million new registered unemployed in one week in the USA
More than three million people registered for the first time as unemployed last week in the United States, and the number total unemployment benefits reached its highest level in history, according to figures released Thursday by the Labor Department.
Analysts were a little less pessimistic, and expected 2.9 million new registrants.
In total since the start of the coronavirus crisis in the country in mid-March, nearly 33.5 million people have been unemployed. And the number of people compensated during the last week of April reached a new record, with 22.6 million people.
2:15 p.m. - Sweden exceeds 3,000 deaths (health authorities)
Sweden has officially exceeded the figure of 3,000 deaths caused by the new coronavirus, health authorities announced on Thursday.
In this kingdom of 10.3 million inhabitants, which has taken more flexible measures than most European countries to try to contain the spread of the virus, 99 new deaths have been recorded in the past 24 hours, bringing to 3,040 the total number of deaths due to Covid-19 for 24,623 confirmed cases.
2:05 p.m. - Estrosi (LR) is concerned about the lack of sanction for not wearing a brand in transport
The mayor (LR) of Nice, Christian Estrosi was surprised on Thursday, that no verbalization is planned by the government for non-compliance with the wearing of a mask in public transport.
According to Mr. Estrosi, the prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes, Bernard Gonzalez, would have indeed "indicated to him that the Minister of the Interior gave the order not to verbalize the breaches of the health rules, including the non wearing a mask" in transport.
"I call on the Prime Minister, it is incomprehensible that the non-respect of the wearing of a mask" in transport is not verbalized, insisted the mayor of Nice, who had presented Tuesday evening to the prefect the security measures taken by its municipality for the deconfinement period which will begin on Monday.
"We are told to manage with the reception people", regrets the mayor, who asks the State to "mobilize the police to enforce the decisions he has taken himself ": the mayors "are unable to enforce health rules if the police are not mobilized".
Mr. Estrosi, who estimates the cost of adapting the means of transport in his city at 7 or 8 million euros for the period of deconfinement, has long indicated that he was going to "issue an order to make it compulsory to wear a mask in the public space".
2:00 p.m.: Bardella considers it "aberrant" to open the metro and keep the beaches closed
The number 2 of the National Rally Jordan Bardella considered Thursday "aberrant" to open the metro while maintaining the closed beaches, and called on the government to use "common sense" in the implementation of deconfinement. In the implementation of deconfinement, which will begin gradually on Monday, "that the government show flexibility", "pragmatism" and "common sense", he said, believing that "we must stop to infantilize the French.
"We support these mayors who are fighting for the reopening of the beaches", he said on LCI, stressing that "many French people do not understand that we are leaving the metro open and closing the beaches". More and more voices are being raised among mayors and deputies to demand a "supervised and reasoned" reopening of the Atlantic coast from May 11 for sports activities, an option for the moment dismissed by the head of government who is due to present Thursday afternoon the details of the déconfinement.
"The French have been confined for two months, under house arrest in extremely difficult conditions" and "we must allow them to breathe", added Mr. Bardella. According to him "we can perfectly go out with the family to walk on the large and beautiful beaches of France, in the forests" without "crossing other people and sputtering in the face".
He castigated the "Parisian and technocratic vision" of "thinking that beaches are a pile of towels for miles and miles". But "it's also large spaces for walking, resting," he added.
1:36 p.m. - Mandatory mask in the nine courts of the Paris Court of Appeal
Wearing a mask required: going beyond the national directives of the Ministry of Justice, the Court of Appeal of Paris has decided to make it compulsory from Monday to wear a mask in the nine courts under its jurisdiction, she announced to AFP on Thursday. "As of May 11, wearing a mask will be generalized (...) for staff, court officers and the public", indicate the heads of the Paris Court of Appeal, Jean-Michel Hayat and Catherine Champrenault, in a message addressed to the courts of jurisdiction.
This protective mask "must be worn to access the courts, when circulating within them as well as in the courtrooms, with the sole exception of large rooms allowing respect for the physical distancing”, is it explained in the message. The largest of the 36 courts of appeal in France, that of Paris covers six departments and has nine courts within its jurisdiction: Auxerre, Bobigny, Créteil, Evry, Fontainebleau, Meaux, Melun, Paris and Sens.
"People are asked to come with their masks on," the court of appeal was told. "On the first day, a tolerance can be observed and masks distributed" within the limits of available stocks, it was added. In a note on the terms and conditions of the gradual resumption of activity during deconfinement, released on Wednesday, the ministry "recommends" the wearing of a mask for litigants. This port “may be made compulsory” where physical distance cannot be respected.
All magistrates and registry staff present in the courts, who will be equipped with washable and reusable masks, are also invited to equip themselves when distancing measures are not guaranteed. From Monday, only the public summoned or having to go to the single reception service for litigants (SAUJ) or to the legal aid office will be able to access the courthouses.
1:00 p.m. - Deconfinement on Saturday in Pakistan despite an increase in cases
The confinement introduced five weeks ago in Pakistan to try to curb the spread of the coronavirus will be lifted on Saturday, despite the rise in the number of cases of contamination in the country, Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Thursday.
"We decide to end the lockdown now," he said in a televised address. "We know we are doing this at a time when our curve is rising...but it is not progressing as we expected."
This decision is made because many people in the country cannot economically afford to stay in lockdown and not go to work, he said. Since the start of the coronavirus epidemic, 24,073 cases of contamination have been recorded in the country, where 564 deaths have been reported. On Thursday, the daily number of new cases reached 1,523, a record rise.
12:47. PS deputies present 34 proposals to revive tourism, including a French-style "Airbnb"
Cancellation of taxes, extension of partial unemployment or even creation of a French-style "Airbnb": PS deputies presented 34 proposals on Thursday to help the tourism sector "bounce back fast and far" after the coronavirus crisis.
"The tourism sector is 8% of GDP, two million direct and indirect jobs", a sector "severely hit by the economic consequences of the coronavirus" since it was "the first to be confined and that he will obviously be one of the last to be deconfined”, recalled spokesperson Boris Vallaud, during a press videoconference.
"There will not necessarily be a rebound for this sector since the lost turnover will not be compensated by a doubling of the number of visits to hotels, restaurants, etc.", he added.
The elected representative of the Landes said he feared that many "would not reopen their doors, and after partial unemployment would sink into real unemployment and bankruptcy", noting in particular that "a certain number of professionals in the sector say that 'between 25 and 40% of restaurants will not reopen'.
Articulated in three parts - "emergency", "relaunch", "anticipating tourism after", their plan is intended as a "toolbox", according to Hervé Saulignac (Ardèche).
PS elected officials propose in particular "a cancellation of corporate tax, payroll tax and social security contributions (excluding employee contributions) over the period from March 15 to December 31, 2020" for cafes, restaurants or tourist accommodation, considering that "the postponements announced by the government" are insufficient.
They also suggest in the emergency measures a "cancellation of taxes, fees and local taxes" for 2020, to "extend the measures in favor of the partial activity of employees until March 15, 2021", or even widen access to the solidarity fund.
To support the recovery, they plead in particular for access to holiday vouchers for the self-employed, craftsmen and retirees, via their pension funds, or for a "come to our house, we'll lift the barrier" operation, allowing professionals in the tourism volunteers to reimburse toll charges.
As part of "tourism after", they suggest in particular "favoring the creation of an + Airbnb France +".
"We can regain control and not be placed in the dependence of people who care little about loyalty, few social rights", argued Boris Vallaud.
12:43. Puma receives more than 600 million euros in emergency aid from Berlin
Sports equipment manufacturer Puma will receive a loan of more than 600 million euros as part of the aid emergency granted by the German public authorities to deal with the impact of the new coronavirus pandemic, the company announced on Thursday.
In May, Puma "secured a new line of credit" from a "consortium of twelve banks", to the tune of 900 million euros, including 625 million euros granted by the public bank German KFW.
The group is thus benefiting from the business aid plan worth several hundred billion euros, announced in mid-March by the German government, including “limitless” loans, guaranteed or granted in part by the KFW bank.
These cash should be used to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, which is hampering the group's activities.
Puma reports, for the first quarter of 2020, a net profit down 61.6% to 36.2 million euros, against 94.4 million in the first quarter of 2019.
The group's turnover also fell, by -1.3%, to 1.3 billion euros.
Read also Covid-19: Christian Drosten, the German "Dr Corona", alert on a 2nd more deadly wave
12:35 p.m. Urban transport: Bordeaux will run at 65%, but fears that the public will sulk
The trams and buses in the Bordeaux conurbation will run at 65% from May 11, aiming for 100% in early June, but the metropolis fears a reluctance from the still worried public, and would be satisfied with 30% attendance in the first weeks of deconfinement.
Training direction of entry and exit, stickers prohibiting every other seat, disinfection every night with virucide, between rotations with bacticide, seats prohibited near the driver's cabin, marking of crosses on the ground at stations, agents distributing hydroalcoholic gel at the busiest stations...
The metropolis of Bordeaux presented this week the complex instructions for its "unconfined" tram, which plans to go from 60% (trams) and 70% (buses) of the fleet in circulation on Monday to 80-90% May 25, then all at the beginning of June.
The network, which transports around 500,000 people every day in normal times, hopes to gradually increase to "150,000 if all goes well", or 30-35% of the usual frequency, instead of 10% during confinement. "We don't think we will exceed 50% attendance before the summer," said Christophe Duprat, vice-president of the metropolis in charge of Transport.
12:25. The CSA launches a study on the place of women in the media
The CSA announced Thursday the launch of a study on the place of women in the media "in the particular context that the country is going through".
The Council will analyze a panel of news programs broadcast between March and April 2020 at key moments in this news, the CSA said in a press release.
Its results and recommendations will be made public in mid-June in order to "contribute to the debate", by discussing with the channels but also the State Secretariat responsible for equality between women and men and the fight against discrimination or the parliamentary mission of Mrs. Céline Calvez.
In early April, shortly after the outcry caused by a front page of Le Parisien, which featured four male experts, LREM MP Céline Calvez was tasked with a mission on "the place of women in the media in times of crisis “, in order to “formulate proposals to ensure their representativeness”.
In times of crisis, "experts must also be experts, and women cannot be excluded from public reflection or public representations", said Secretary of State Marlène Schiappa in her mission letter to the parliamentarian .
Read alsoWhy the coronavirus crisis is making women invisible in the media
12:22. Minority mortality much higher, according to two British studies
Black, Asian or other ethnic minority people living in the UK are much more likely to die from the new coronavirus than the average , according to two studies published Thursday pointing in particular to the role of socio-economic factors.
According to an analysis conducted by the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS), black men and women are respectively 4.2 times and 4.3 times more likely to die from the virus than their white compatriots in the same age group. 'age.
Taking into account other socio-demographic characteristics (household composition, medical history, professional qualification, area of residence, economic situation of the household, etc.), the risk for black people of dying from the virus still remains 1.9 times higher than for a white person.
"These results indicate that the difference in mortality between ethnic groups is partly caused by socio-economic disadvantage, but show that there remains a gap that cannot be explained at this time", estimates the 'ONS.
12:07. Moscow will impose the wearing of masks on public transport
The city of Moscow, epicenter of the epidemic in Russia of the new coronavirus, will impose the wearing of masks on public transport, the mayor announced on Thursday .
"From 12 (May), the rules in public transport will be toughened: you will have to wear masks and gloves", announced Sergei Sobyanin on public television Rossiya-24.
He explained that with the resumption on this date of construction sites and the operation of factories, half a million additional people will be authorized to circulate in the Russian capital, making this measure necessary.
Moscow decided on Wednesday to extend confinement for the vast majority of the population: offices, most shops, restaurants and other personal services will remain closed.
"The speed at which (we will return to normality) will depend on ourselves, on our discipline. I don't want to play guessing games, but I think that returning to normal life without restrictions is not for soon,” he warned.
Mr. Sobyanin, whose city counts 92,676 of the 177,160 cases of new coronavirus recorded in Russia, however noted progress.
According to him, the significant increase in cases detected over the past week is above all due to an increasing screening effort intended to identify and quarantine all people who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms of Covid-19 disease.
For him, the increasing number of cases detected is therefore "a good thing" to curb the spread of the virus. He estimated that Moscow actually has some 300,000 infected people.
Another positive element, "today, the number of people leaving the hospital is greater than the number of those newly hospitalized".
12:03. Russia overtakes France and Germany for the number of cases
The Russian authorities reported Thursday 11,231 new contaminations due to the new coronavirus in 24 hours, a record increase which brings the number of cases to 177,160 nationwide, a total now higher than those of France and Germany.
The crisis unit dedicated to the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic has recorded at the same time 88 additional deaths attributed to this disease which some people develop infected with the new coronavirus, which has claimed a total of 1,625 victims in Russia.
In Moscow, which has more than half of the cases and deaths, the daily progression also reached a record with 6,703 new contaminations in 24 hours, bringing the total to 92,676. According to Sergei Sobyanin, mayor of the Russian capital, the number of cases is actually around 300,000.
He said on Wednesday that the number of confirmed cases of contamination was increasing in Moscow due to the acceleration of screening tests.
12:00. The CPME Paris IDF invites VSEs-SMEs to sign the charter for the resumption of activity
The CPME Paris IDF invites VSEs-SMEs to sign the charter defining the procedures for using public transport for the activity retake.
11:57 a.m. - Extension of the state of emergency: LR deputies will vote against, warns Abad
LR deputies will vote against the bill extending the state of health emergency, examined Thursday at the Assembly, if the government does not amend the text in particular on the responsibility of elected officials, affirmed the boss of the group Damien Abad. "The ball is in the government's court, either it accepts the version we proposed to the Senate and we will vote on the text, or it does not and we will vote against it," he said on Sud Radio. .
The measure voted by the senators (with a majority LR) stipulated that "no one can be held criminally liable" for contamination by the coronavirus during the state of health emergency, except in cases of deliberate intent, recklessness or negligence. The text was then amended by the Law Committee of the Assembly, in particular by LREM to take into account "the state of scientific knowledge at the time of the facts". A "red line" according to Mr. Abad, because it would lead to "a system of generalized amnesty". In addition, beyond elected officials in the field, this amendment "aims more at ministers and directors of central administration", he told AFP.
The boss of the LR group also wanted parliament to be able to vote "month by month" on extending the state of emergency, and he rejected the planned system for tracking infected people because "there is no has more anonymity, volunteering and data is kept for a year" which "seems totally disproportionate to us". While the Prime Minister must present the details of the deconfinement in the afternoon, Mr. Abad wished "a real territorial differentiation" and that "in the green departments, we reopen more things", in particular so that "shops and cafes under certain conditions" can "start this movement". Deploring the maintenance of the closure of the beaches, according to him "symbolic of this government of fear", he estimated that "we have gone from caution to immobility".
Finally, on the assumption of an increase in working time, he considered that "the recovery cannot be done on the backs of employees" but "with the employees". "I do not believe in the great principles of blood and tears. Many French people will come out marked by this deconfinement and will need economic and social breathing space," he said, calling for "letting things go on a case-by-case basis". cases at the enterprise level.
11:55 a.m. - More than 150,000 dead in Europe
The pandemic caused by the new coronavirus has killed more than 150,000 people in Europe, three quarters of them in the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain and France, according to a report established by AFP from official sources Thursday at 9:10 GMT.
With a total of 150,138 deaths (for 1,640,799 cases), Europe is the continent hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has killed 263,573 people worldwide. The United Kingdom (30,076) and Italy (29,684) are the most affected European countries, followed by Spain (26,070) and France (25,809).
11:50 a.m. - For Berger, the real question is "to all work"
The secretary general of the CFDT, Laurent Berger, estimated Thursday that in terms of working time for the post-lockdown, "what it's about is not working more individually, but working all". “Today, what we foresee is hundreds of thousands of additional unemployed” after confinement, but “what it is about is not to work more individually, it is to work all , to have jobs for all", declared Mr. Berger on Europe 1. "What the CFDT has been asking for for 15 days now, is quite simply that we sit around the table to discuss "a general mobilization on employment. We do not measure the extent", but "we know that there is a big problem on employment which is looming", he underlined.
Trade unions and employers' organizations, "with the Ministry of Labor and why not a certain number of experts on employment policies" must "get around the table very very quickly" to "discuss anticipation in terms of employment," he said. As for the proposals of the Institut Montaigne, which on Wednesday advocated an increase in working time, they "are very liberal in inspiration", he said. Regarding "the way of working, things have to be rebuilt" and "it cannot be the significant increase in working time", he judged, believing that it will be necessary "to talk about the distribution of wealth produced in the company, of the organization of work".
"That does not mean that there will not be efforts, that in a certain number of companies, there will not be agreements so that the needs of the company are taken into account. “at some point, “but on one condition, that it be in company agreements” and “not efforts totally on the backs of the workers”, estimated Mr. Berger. "In the companies, a certain number of conditions will be discussed to ensure production, that's called social dialogue", he noted, insisting on the need for efforts to be made "collectively", not only by employees.
For telework, "the CFDT wants a new negotiation" between the social partners in order to "hand over executives" because there are "many constraints, physical or psychosocial risks", noted Mr. Berger, whose l The organization will make "strong proposals at the beginning of next week" to "improve the lives of teleworkers".
11:40 a.m. – More than a thousand jobs at risk at Austrian Airlines-Press
Austrian Airlines (AUA), the Austrian subsidiary of Lufthansa, could cut 15% of its 7,000 jobs and reduce wages by 13% to convince Vienna of its long-term viability and obtain public aid, reports the APA news agency. The company declined to comment. Its supervisory board met on Wednesday to reflect on the strategy to adopt to ensure its survival, threatened by the coronavirus crisis.
The group has asked for 767 million euros in public aid, but the Austrian government is asking for guarantees in terms of jobs, in particular.
About 1,100 jobs could be cut by 2023 and the agreements on the reduction of working hours in force until mid-May for most staff could be extended by two to three years, specifies the APA, citing an unidentified source. Management has also started preparing for insolvency proceedings that could pave the way for a recapitalization, the agency adds.
11:39 a.m. - Slight drop in the number of daily deaths in Spain
Spain recorded 213 additional deaths on Thursday linked to the new coronavirus pandemic, a figure down slightly from the previous day when 244 deaths had been reported, the health ministry said.
Since the start of the pandemic, the death toll has reached 26,070 in Spain. That of confirmed cases of contamination is 221,447, an increase of 1,122 compared to Wednesday.
11:30 a.m. - New death of a doctor in the Haut-Rhin
A nephrologist doctor from a Mulhouse dialysis center died of Covid-19 on Tuesday, this private establishment told AFP on Thursday. AFP, after already at least three other deaths of doctors in the department of Haut-Rhin, one of the most affected. Aged about sixty, Dr Abdelmajid Ben Aicha, nephrologist at the Diaverum center, based at the Emile-Muller hospital in Mulhouse, "died as a result of Covid-19", indicated Diaverum France, confirming information of the newspaper L'Alsace.
According to Dr. Abdellatif Benmoussa, also a nephrologist (kidney disease specialist) at this centre, Dr. Ben Aicha worked until April 7, before being hospitalized: "He did his duty on April 7 and on the 8th he couldn't get up," he said. "We take care of patients whose pathologies make them vulnerable, there are many cases of Covid in our country", explained Dr Benmoussa.
Towards the end of March, he says, his colleague had to resuscitate a Covid patient who had become unwell in his office. "To resuscitate a patient, you have to remove their mask and in these cases, we no longer think about transmission, we only think about saving the patient," he noted.
10.50 a.m. - UK set to extend lockdown, but easing expected
The UK government is due to formally extend the lockdown in place since late March on Thursday to combat the spread of the new coronavirus, before the announcement expected this weekend of a relaxation of certain restrictions. At a time when several European countries have begun to ease the pressure a little, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is meeting his main ministers after more than six weeks of confinement, in force since March 24 and already extended once until Thursday. But for the announcement of a deconfinement, it will be necessary to wait a few more days. The head of government, himself cured of the Covid-19 disease, has already indicated that he will unveil his strategy for the future on Sunday by speaking directly to the British.
He hinted to MPs on Wednesday that some restrictions could be eased on Monday, while repeating that he wanted at all costs to avoid a second wave of the epidemic. “The virus is still at a high level. We believe we have passed the peak but we must be careful not to create a situation where we have a second strong and very rapid peak”, explained the Minister in charge of Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis, Thursday on the BBC. "We will consider how to move forward in a way that puts people's health first," he added, urging people to stay home over the long bank holiday weekend despite the good weather.
The Covid-19 disease has killed more than 30,000 people in the United Kingdom, the second most bereaved country in the world behind the United States. This figure already exceeded 32,000 at the end of April, if we add to it the deaths of which Covid-19 disease is the probable cause but not confirmed by a test. According to British media, Britons will soon be able to exercise unlimitedly outside, have picnics or even sunbathe in parks, provided they keep a safe distance of two meters between people. The population is currently only allowed to go out for shopping, treatment or exercise once a day.
10.30 a.m. - The number of international tourists could fall by 60% to 80% in 2020 (OMT)
The number of international tourists could fall by 60 to 80% in 2020 under the effect of the pandemic of new coronavirus, announced Thursday the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), which expected at the end of March on a fall of 20 to 30%.
Arrivals have already fallen by 22% in the first quarter over one year, and even by 57% in March after the start of confinement in many countries, specifies this UN agency based in Madrid in a press release .
10:26 a.m. - Industrialists expect a drop in their investments in 2020 (Insee)
French industrialists now expect a drop in their investments of 7% in 2020 compared to the previous year, according to the quarterly INSEE survey published Thursday. In January, before the development of the Covid-19 pandemic, they expected a 3% increase in investments this year. The statistical institute notes that the survey conducted in April does not usually show any change in investment prospects compared to the beginning of the year.
According to the business leaders in the manufacturing industry surveyed in April, investment would fall sharply in the manufacture of transport equipment (-16%), with a decline of 6% in the automobile industry. Investment should also decline, but to a lesser extent, in the agri-food sector (-3%) while it should progress very slightly in capital goods (+1%).
Concerning the year 2019, the manufacturers surveyed raised their assessment of January, estimating that their investments were up 3% compared to 2018 (compared to 1% at the start of the year).
09:15 a.m. - industrial production plunges by 16.2% in March (Insee)
Industrial production in France fell by 16.2% over one month in March, during the implementation containment to deal with the epidemic of new coronavirus, according to figures published Thursday by INSEE.
In March, production fell "significantly" in all industrial branches, after having increased by 0.8% (revised figure) in February, specifies the National Institute of Statistics in a press release.
09:00 a.m. - 53,800 net private job destructions in France in the 1st quarter (-2.3%)
Under the effect of the coronavirus, the first quarter of 2020 saw the destruction of 453,800 jobs in the private sector, a drop of 2.3% compared to the previous quarter, according to a provisional estimate by INSEE. Over one year, the decline is 1.4% (-274,900 jobs), with a fall in market services and a plunge in temporary work. In total, this is the "lowest level since the third quarter of 2017", according to INSEE.
8:50 a.m. - Containment causes a sharp reduction in the trade deficit in March
Containment measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus caused a sharp reduction in the French trade deficit in March, the fall in imports being higher than that of exports, announced Thursday the Customs.
The trade deficit reached 3.3 billion euros in March, 1.7 billion less than in February, Customs said in a press release.
8:40 a.m. - "Slight recovery" in activity as deconfinement approaches (Insee)
As deconfinement approaches, France seems to be experiencing a "slight recovery" in economic activity , in particular in industry and construction, indicated Thursday the INSEE in a new point of economic situation.
The estimate of the loss of economic activity "remains around a third (-33%)" compared to a normal situation, against -35% on April 23 and -36% on April 9 , but “a slight upturn in economic activity seems to be confirmed, in industry and in construction”, advances the National Institute of Statistics.
8:00 a.m. - Winter eviction truce extended until July
Winter eviction truce, which should have ended on March 31, will be extended again until "July" after have already been extended due to the coronavirus crisis, the Minister of Housing announced on Thursday.
"We are going to postpone the winter break until July", declared Julien Denormandie on Franceinfo, adding that the precise date would be announced during the day after consultation with parliamentarians. The truce had so far been extended until May 31 to help households, whose incomes have been cut due to confinement.
7:00 a.m. - Air France-KLM records a loss of 1.8 billion euros
Air France-KLM suffered the first effects of Covid-19 on its traffic with a net loss of 1.8 billion euros in the first quarter, and it anticipates an even more disastrous fallout for its finances by the summer. The Franco-Dutch air carrier, which is to receive 7 billion euros in aid from the French state to keep its head above water, is already reporting a 10.5% drop in capacity in the first quarter. (-35% in March), and it predicts a 95% collapse for the second quarter and 80% for the third, according to a press release.
Air transport is one of the economic sectors most severely affected by the coronavirus crisis, due in particular to the restrictions on movement and border closures decided all over the world to curb the spread of the virus. The European Commission already authorized France on Monday to grant support of 7 billion euros to Air France, including 4 billion in bank loans guaranteed at 90% by the State and 3 billion in direct loans from the State, with consideration for commitments to improve its profitability and the environment.
The company must reduce CO2 emissions on its domestic flights by 50% by 2024 and initiate a reflection in France on the Air France network when there are rail alternatives of less than 2h30, according to the government .
04:00 a.m. - Unexpected growth in exports despite the health crisis
Chinese exports rose in April for the first time this year, against all expectations, offering respite to manufacturers in the second economic power world as the coronavirus health crisis weighed on demand and disrupted supply chains. While this unexpected increase follows a smaller-than-expected contraction in March, the outlook for the Chinese export market remains bleak amid the spread of the coronavirus epidemic across the world.
According to data released by Chinese customs on Thursday, overseas deliveries rose 3.5% year on year in April, their first growth since last December. Economists polled by Reuters had expected a 15.7% year-on-year contraction after a 6.6% decline in March.
The slump in Chinese exports and imports eased in March as factories gradually resumed activity, but analysts expect pressures to remain as the health crisis crippled many economies in worldwide.
According to official data, imports declined last month by 14.2% year on year, their biggest contraction since January 2016, after falling 0.9% in March. The consensus was for a decline of 11.2%.
6:00 a.m. -Australia fears an increase in suicides
The psychological stress and financial difficulties generated by the coronavirus crisis could force thousands of Australians to commit suicide, a number far greater than the victims of the disease itself, experts in Sydney warned on Thursday. The University of Sydney's Center for Brain and Mind has estimated that an additional 750 to 1,500 suicides could be expected each year for five years due to the impact of the pandemic and its economic repercussions. This would represent an increase of 25 to 50% compared to the 3,000 suicides recorded on average each year in Australia. About 30% of additional suicides are believed to be committed by young people, particularly affected by the crisis due to the closure of schools, universities and meeting places, the center said in a joint statement with the Australian Medical Association and experts. in mental health.
Australia has had good results in the fight against the coronavirus, which has infected less than 7,000 people and killed less than 100 people. But restrictions on travel, gatherings or retail trade have had a devastating impact on the economy.
The Australian government on Tuesday estimated that the economy will lose around four billion Australian dollars (2.3 billion euros) per week due to the restrictions. In response to this study, the Minister of Health announced an additional A$500 million for suicide prevention efforts. The government is expected to announce an easing of restrictions on Friday. He warned, however, that a full return to normal would not come for months.
4:00 a.m. - Banksy pays tribute to British healthcare workers
A work by Banksy paying tribute to healthcare workers, on the front line in the fight against the coronavirus, has been installed in a hospital in the United Kingdom and will be sold at auction for the benefit of the British health system, the Press Association announced on Wednesday. The black and white work of the famous British street artist represents a boy in overalls, on his knees, brandishing the doll of a super heroine, a nurse wearing a cape, mask and apron adorned with a red cross, the only touch of color. In a basket near the child, we see Batman and Spiderman, abandoned.
Entitled "Game Changer", the work of approximately one square meter hangs in a corridor of Southampton Hospital. "Thank you for all you do. Hope this brightens the place up a bit, even though it's black and white," the artist wrote in a note to staff at the facility. Once the confinement is lifted, the work will be exhibited to the public, before being sold at auction. The funds raised will be donated to the British health system, the NHS, said a spokeswoman for Banksy. Previous works by the artist have sold for several million dollars.
5:00 a.m. - Pompeo accuses Beijing of being responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo renewed his strong criticism of China on Wednesday, accusing it of to be responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths caused by the coronavirus, a health crisis that Donald Trump has called the worst "attack" ever experienced by the United States.
“They knew,” said the head of American diplomacy during a press conference at the State Department. "China could have prevented the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people around the world. China could have saved the world from plunging into deep economic malaise."
Mike Pompeo added that China "still refuses to share the information we need to protect people." The coronavirus epidemic has killed more than 255,000 people worldwide, including more than 70,000 in the United States, which is the country most affected by the health crisis.
2h45 - The number of cases in Germany exceeds 166,000
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany has climbed to 166,091, and the epidemic has now caused 7,119 deaths in the country, according to data released Thursday by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for Infectious Diseases.
This represents 1,284 additional cases of contamination and 123 new deaths in the space of twenty-four hours, according to the report reported by the RKI.
2h00 - Toubon opposed to the distribution of masks only to permanent residents of a city
The Defender of Rights Jacques Toubon opposed on Thursday the decision of certain coastal municipalities to reserve the distribution protective masks against Covid-19 to permanent residents and to exclude secondary residents.
"This difference in treatment is not based on any objective difference in situation in connection with the service, which aims to protect the entire population against the Covid-19 epidemic, regardless of the length of residence. in the town", estimated the Defender in a press release.
Jacques Toubon had been seized by residents who learned that they were excluded from a distribution of masks organized by the municipalities where they have their secondary residence, indicates the press release which does not cite the name of any city concerned.
The distribution of masks organized by these municipalities has the "character of a public service mission" and must respond to a "principle of equality", considers the Defender of Rights, whose opinions are advisory. It cannot therefore "be limited to principal residents in relation to secondary residents".
Jacques Toubon claims to have recalled "these principles" to the Association of Mayors of France (AMF) and to have requested its intervention from its members so that "an end to this differentiation" is "put to an end".
Since the start of confinement, nearly 189,000 people have left Paris to go to their second home, according to INSEE.
00:30 a.m. -: 2,073 additional deaths in 24 hours in the United States (Johns Hopkins)
The United States again recorded more than 2,000 additional deaths from the coronavirus in 24 hours on Wednesday, bringing the total toll to 73,095 dead since the start of the pandemic, according to a count by Johns Hopkins University. These 2,073 additional deaths were recorded between 8:30 p.m. local time Wednesday and the day before at the same time by the university, which updates its data continuously.
The United States also has more than 1.22 million officially diagnosed cases, including some 190,000 people declared cured. They carried out more than 7.75 million screening tests, from the same source.
00:20 a.m. - Two new cases of infection confirmed in China
Chinese health authorities said on Thursday that they had confirmed 2 new cases of coronavirus contamination in mainland China the day before, and had recorded no deaths additional linked to the epidemic which appeared in the center of the country last December.
The National Health Commission clarified in its daily update that these were two cases of imported infection. In total, according to data from the commission, the coronavirus has infected 82,885 people in mainland China and caused 4,633 deaths.
00:00 - In the United Kingdom, the coronavirus kills "two to three times more" ethnic minorities
Black, Asian or other ethnic minorities living in the United Kingdom have two to three times more likely to die from the new coronavirus than the average, according to a study published Thursday which adds to other publications in this direction. The analysis was carried out by University College London using official data issued by the British health authorities.
“This work shows that, far from striking equally, Covid-19 is disproportionately more deadly” for minorities, explained one of the co-authors, Delan Devakumar, judging “essential to attack the social, economic factors and barriers to access to care that lead to these unjust deaths".
Researchers at the university focused on patients who tested positive for the virus and died in English hospitals between March 1 and April 21, the British public health service (NHS) recorded. Analysis of this data showed that the risk of dying from the virus is "two to three times higher" for people who are black, Asian or other ethnic minorities than for the general population. For example, a person of Pakistani origin has 3.29 times more risk of dying than the average, or a little more than a person of African origin (3.24 times more risk).
Bangladeshi communities are also very affected (2.41 times higher risk), as are those from the Caribbean (2.21 times higher risk). Indians are 1.7 times more likely to die than the average.
Conversely, the researchers found by analyzing the 16,271 deaths recorded over the period - for which data on ethnicity was missing in 10% of cases - that the white population had a lower than average risk of dying of Covid-19 in England.
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