The authorities of the French city of Marseille have expressed disagreement with the government's decision to impose fresh coronavirus-related restrictions and asked the government to give the city 10 days before introducing them to see if the spread of the virus slows down, First Deputy Mayor of Marseille Benoit Payan said on Thursday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2020) The authorities of the French city of Marseille have expressed disagreement with the government's decision to impose fresh coronavirus-related restrictions and asked the government to give the city 10 days before introducing them to see if the spread of the virus slows down, First Deputy Mayor of Marseille Benoit Payan said on Thursday.
The official noted that, according to the health ministry's data, the peak of the current phase of the pandemic was reached between September 3-9, and the infections had been declining in Marseille ever since. Meanwhile, the city, along with the French overseas department of Guadeloupe, has been put on the "red zone" list, which includes highly infected areas of the country. In this regard, French Health Minister Olivier Veran has ordered bars and restaurants in both areas to close starting Saturday for two weeks. In other large cities, the public facilities will have to shut their doors no later than 10 p.m. (20:00 GMT).
"Together with the mayor [of Marseille], I ask the government for 10 days before the new measures are introduced. If at the end of next week, the indicators [of infection rate] go up, we will be ready to make this mandatory decision, which will be understood by everyone," Payan told reporters.
He added that the government has not consulted with the local authorities on its decision. The implementation of such measures would put Marseille in a "semi-quarantine" mode, Payan noted.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has also disagreed with the government's decision, speaking live on the BFMTV broadcaster.
France has seen a resurgence of COVID-19 infections, with the most recent daily record high of 13,498 cases confirmed on September 19. Some restrictive measures, including the requirement to wear masks while outdoors and in shared spaces, have been in effect since August.
To date, France has registered 520,193 coronavirus cases and 31,472 related fatalities. In addition, the French health authorities have reported over 1,000 COVID-19 patients were placed in intensive care on September 23.
