France is told to 'pull itself together' to beat coronavirus

France’s prime minister has told his citizens to ‘pull themselves together’ amid a fresh surge in coronavirus cases. 

Jean Castex said the public was becoming careless and raised the spectre of a second lockdown after a rise of more than 10,000 cases in the last week. 

France’s seven-day average now stands at 1,691 new cases per day, up from 542 a month ago and 1,056 at the end of July.  

‘If we don’t act collectively, we expose ourselves to the heightened risk that the rebound in the epidemic becomes hard to control,’ Castex said on a visit to an intensive care ward in the South of France. 

Some parts of France have tightened their mask rules despite the summer heatwave, with police now set to ramp up checks on face coverings – while neighbouring Belgium has today made masks compulsory in all public spaces including outdoors. 

Fears are growing that France could be added to Britain’s quarantine list within days after UK ministers said they would ‘not hesitate’ to close down travel corridors if cases rise. 

Reports say cabinet ministers including Matt Hancock and Michael Gove are discussing today whether France should join Spain and Belgium on the blacklist, a move which could cause chaos for thousands of British holidaymakers.   

French health officials have reported 10,143 new cases in the last seven days, up from 8,833 in the previous week - making it five straight weeks of increase

French health officials have reported 10,143 new cases in the last seven days, up from 8,833 in the previous week – making it five straight weeks of increase 

France's daily death toll remains low, with the total now at 30,354 fatalities linked to Covid-19 including 19,849 in hospital

France’s daily death toll remains low, with the total now at 30,354 fatalities linked to Covid-19 including 19,849 in hospital

Italy considers rapid tests at airports

Italy is drawing up plans to carry out rapid coronavirus tests at airports to screen travellers returning from abroad.  

The new tests are in the process of being approved and could also be used at border crossings, sources told news agency ANSA. 

Authorities could potentially target travellers returning from high-risk countries, as Germany has done. 

The northern region of Emilia-Romagna has already ordered its own tests for people returning from Spain, Greece, Croatia and Malta. 

Italy has seen a slight uptick in coronavirus cases in recent days, with the 7-day average rising to 403 new cases per day – up from 281 at the end of July. 

However, the the spike is so far much smaller than the alarming increases in Spain, France and Germany.  

While countries including Germany and France have introduced airport tests already, Britain has not done so – arguing that many cases would still be missed and that testing is not a substitute for quarantine rules. 

France’s tally of coronavirus cases rose by 1,397 in the latest update on Tuesday, taking the total from 202,775 to 204,172. 

Health officials have reported 10,143 new cases in the last seven days, up from 8,833 in the previous week – making it five straight weeks of increase.  

On Monday, France reported the first significant rise in the number of coronavirus patients in hospital since the lockdown was lifted, although it fell again on Tuesday.  

Some 227 clusters have been identified across France, a rise of 25 in the last 24 hours, as summer holidays resume and people gradually return to work.  

In a further blow to the resumption of normal life, this year’s Paris marathon was cancelled today after initially being postponed until November 15.  

Castex said the situation had been going the ‘wrong way’ for two weeks and called on French people to ‘pull themselves together’, French media said. 

The PM said testing was ‘more than satisfactory’, with more than 600,000 tests being conducted weekly, but said more could still be done to target those with symptoms. 

Talking of the risk of another lockdown, Castex said: ‘Nobody wants to live through that again.’ 

Castex said he would ask local authorities ‘to extend as far as possible the obligation to wear masks in public spaces’. 

Some cities including Paris, Lille, Toulouse and Biarritz have already imposed a mandatory face mask order in crowded outdoor spaces despite the hot weather.   

Masks are already compulsory in shops and banks across France. 

Today the government said it will ramp up police checks to ensure people wear masks, saying France is ‘at a tipping point’.   

‘We’re going to mobilize polices forces to make checks,’ spokesman Gabriel Attal told reporters. ‘But it’s not the police people should be afraid of… they should fear the virus, that lurks and contaminates.’ 

France's prime minister Jean Castex (pictured at a hospital in Montpellier yesterday) has told his citizens to 'pull themselves together' amid a fresh surge in coronavirus cases in France

France’s prime minister Jean Castex (pictured at a hospital in Montpellier yesterday) has told his citizens to ‘pull themselves together’ amid a fresh surge in coronavirus cases in France

Tourists wearing masks walk in front of the Eiffel Tower on a hot day in Paris at the weekend

Tourists wearing masks walk in front of the Eiffel Tower on a hot day in Paris at the weekend

People wear masks in Montmartre in Paris yesterday after face covering rules were tightened

People wear masks in Montmartre in Paris yesterday after face covering rules were tightened 

Paris marathon is cancelled because of coronavirus 

This year’s Paris marathon has been cancelled, organisers said today.

Originally due on April 5, the race had been postponed to November 15 but has now been scrapped altogether.

‘After having tried everything to maintain the event, we, alongside the city of Paris, feel obliged to cancel the 2020 edition,’ organisers said. 

‘Faced with the difficulty that many runners, especially those coming from abroad, had… it was decided that it would be better… for those concerned if we organised [the marathon] in 2021.

‘We will be working side-by-side with the city of Paris to put on a 2021 edition that brings together the most passionate runners on the most beautiful streets in the world.’

The Paris marathon is one of the most popular events on the global running calendar and usually attracts more than 40,000 participants.

The New York City marathon was cancelled in June while Boston’s race was  scrapped for the first time in its 124-year history.

The London marathon, originally set for April, was postponed to October 4 and will only be open to elite runners. 

The increase has led to fears that France will be the next country struck off Britain’s approved travel list, as Spain and Belgium have already been. 

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday that Britain will ‘not hesitate’ to re-impose the quarantine requirement for more countries if needed, after previously doing so for Spain and Belgium among others. 

Earlier on Tuesday, President Emmanuel Macron held a video conference with top ministers from his Riviera summer retreat.

Ministers resolved to draw up new restrictions for the 20 largest cities to curb the infection rate and extend a ban on gatherings of 5,000 or more until October 31.

France’s daily death toll remains low, with the total now at 30,354 fatalities linked to Covid-19 including 19,849 in hospital. 

Meanwhile in Belgium, masks are now compulsory in public places in Brussels as the country battles its own worrying virus outbreak. 

The new measure has been imposed in all 19 municipalities of the Brussels region after the threshold of 50 daily cases per 100,000 people was reached. 

Residents of the city of 1.2million now have to wear masks when in parks, on streets or in any other public sites, as well as in private spaces accessible to the public. 

There are a handful of exceptions to the ruling in Brussels, such as when playing sports or for people with certain disabilities. 

Until now masks had been compulsory only in crowded public spaces and enclosed sites, such as shopping malls. Children aged 11 or under are exempt.   

The mask-wearing regulation is one of the strictest currently applied in European capitals and follows a similar decision by authorities in Madrid in July.  

Belgium has one of the highest per-capita death rates in the world and infections are rising along with those in much of western Europe.   

The measure does not apply to Belgium’s two other regions, Dutch-speaking Flanders and French-speaking Wallonia. 

People wearing masks visit Montmartre and look over the Paris skyline after the French capital imposed new face covering rules

People wearing masks visit Montmartre and look over the Paris skyline after the French capital imposed new face covering rules 

Elsewhere, Germany saw its worst daily spike in coronavirus cases for three months today as a ‘very concerning’ rebound in infections continues to gather pace. 

Health officials announced 1,226 new cases this morning, the highest figure since May 9 – bringing the total from 217,293 to 218,519. 

The seven-day average of new cases is now above 900, having been as low as 350 a month ago. 

Angela Merkel’s health minister said today there were outbreaks happening in almost all of Germany and warned that every new case was making track-and-trace procedures harder. 

He added that the rise was partly being driven by parties and family gatherings – warning that the virus can spread quickly ‘when there’s alcohol involved’.

Having not seen 1,000 cases in a day from for nearly three months, Germany has now crossed that threshold four times in the last week. 

The last seven days have seen nearly 6,500 new infections, up from 5,096 the week before and fewer than 3,000 per week as recently as mid-July.

Germany’s R rate has been above the 1.0 threshold for most of the last month, although it fell to 0.97 in the latest update on Tuesday.

Health officials say the ongoing rise is ‘very concerning’ and have linked it to travellers returning from summer holidays elsewhere in Europe. 

Germany yesterday extended its travel warning for Spain to cover Madrid and the Basque country, having previously curtailed travel to Catalonia and nearby areas.

Germany today suffered its worst daily spike in coronavirus cases since May 9 as 1,226 new infections were added to the tally

Germany today suffered its worst daily spike in coronavirus cases since May 9 as 1,226 new infections were added to the tally 

Spain has seen a worrying rise in coronavirus cases in recent weeks, with nearly 26,000 cases recorded in the last seven days - up from fewer than 3,000 a week in June

Spain has seen a worrying rise in coronavirus cases in recent weeks, with nearly 26,000 cases recorded in the last seven days – up from fewer than 3,000 a week in June 

Spain has already been struck off Britain’s approved list and cases have continued to mount since then, with the seven-day average now at 3,357 cases per day compared to 480 a month ago. 

Spain’s rolling average is now 3,357 cases per day, up from 2,300 at the end of July and only 480 this time last month.   

The total number of infections has now risen above that in Britain to become the highest in Western Europe, prompting criticism of the Spanish government.  

There are currently more than 500 outbreak clusters in Spain, according to the health ministry. 

The ministry’s emergencies coordinator Fernando Simon said on Monday that there are cases of community transmission in some places that are ‘not perfectly controlled’ but he said they had ‘gradually subsided’ in recent days. 

Spain’s government defended its response to the coronavirus pandemic on Monday, saying ‘appropriate measures’ were being taken in co-ordination with the regions.  

‘The data shows that we are being very active in tracking and detecting the virus,’ the government said in a statement. 

Authorities also said they had tested nearly 7.5million people since the start of the pandemic, with over 400,000 tested in the past week alone. 

Spain imposed one of the world’s strictest lockdowns after the death toll surged in March and April, but the state of emergency has since been lifted.   

In a letter published in medical journal The Lancet, a group of Spanish health experts called for an independent probe into of the government’s handling of the crisis.

More than 50,000 health workers have been infected, and nearly 20,000 deaths were in nursing homes, the authors said. 

The health experts pointed the finger at a range of errors including poor co-ordination between Madrid and regional governments.

How are European countries managing the return to school? 

GERMANY 

In Germany, schools are run by the 16 states which are re-opening classrooms on different timescales and with different rules. 

In Schleswig-Holstein, where schools returned on Monday, pupils aged 11 and over are encouraged to wear masks in class, although it is not compulsory. 

By contrast, in Berlin – which also went back this week –  masks are required in corridors and other communal rooms but not in playgrounds or during lessons.  

The eastern state of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania became the first to reopen full-time after the break last week, but two schools have already had to close. 

Some 800 students were forced to head home from the Goethe Gymnasium in Ludwigslust after a teacher tested positive for Covid-19. 

Separately, 100 pupils from a primary school in Rostock have been placed under quarantine for two weeks after a pupil was confirmed infected.  

Germany’s most populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia went back today, with masks compulsory and provisions for entire schools to be tested if an outbreak is detected.  

In Bavaria, which has the highest death toll in Germany, schools are not going back until September 8.   

Pupils wearing masks gather in a sports hall on the first day back at school in Duisburg in western Germany today

Pupils wearing masks gather in a sports hall on the first day back at school in Duisburg in western Germany today 

FRANCE

French schools are due to return on September 1 across the country, with no regional differences except for holiday dates later in the year. 

Pupils older than 11 will be required to wear a mask in spaces where a one-metre distance cannot be guaranteed, including in classrooms. 

Some masks will be handed out, but parents are generally expected to provide face coverings for their children.  

Younger pupils are generally not expected to wear masks, but they will be made available for any children who develop symptoms and are waiting to be picked up.  

Teachers and pupils must wash their hands when they arrive at school, before they eat lunch and before they go home.  

However, social distancing may be set aside in classrooms, libraries and canteens if it is ‘not physically possible’ or if some pupils would be excluded as a result.  

In addition, restrictions have been lifted on different classes and year groups mixing with each other.  

ROMANIA 

Romanian PM Ludovic Orban pledged today schools would re-open in September under strict hygiene rules despite a spike in virus cases. 

‘Our decision is clear, schools will start on September 14’, Orban said during a speech in parliament.

However, local authorities could decide to keep some schools shut if there were more then three new infections per 1,000 inhabitants in a particular area. 

In that scenario students would then have to attend lessons online from home – but Orban has admitted that hundreds of thousands of Romanian children do not have access to a computer. 

The government has promised to buy 250,000 tablets for students who can’t afford one and need it for online lessons, but this may not be enough to meet demand. 

The PM said students, teachers and other school staff will have to wear masks and that disinfectants should be available at all times.

Romania closed schools, kindergartens and universities in March and decided to keep them shut for the rest of the academic year.

NETHERLANDS

Dutch schools are due to start returning later this month, with some regions starting as soon as next Monday and others on August 23 or August 30. 

Schools were only fully closed for a few weeks in the Netherlands, which started re-opening primary schools as early as May 11. 

Secondary schools opened in part in June and are expected to resume their full teaching programme later this month.  

The Dutch public health institute says that ‘children play a minor role in the spread of the novel coronavirus’, meaning restrictions are less strict than for adults.

The very youngest children in nurseries and kindergartens can even show up with a runny nose, as long as they are not showing signs of fever. 

Older children should stay away from school if they have cold-like symptoms and should arrange a test to see if they have coronavirus.  

Primary school children up to 12 years of age do not have to keep the usual 1.5m apart from each other and from adults, including in kindergartens.  

Secondary school pupils do not have to keep apart from each other, but teachers are expected to observe the safety distance. 

DENMARK

Denmark was the first country to re-open schools, sending the youngest children back to daycare centres as early as April 15. 

Health authorities said there were no signs of a rebound in cases as a result – and many schools are opening again for the autumn term this month. 

Education officials say pupils will be returning to a ‘more normal everyday life’, with the one-metre safety distance not necessary in the classroom. 

However, the one-metre distance will still apply when children are mingling with people in other classes. 

If a pupil tests positive, staff are expected to notify all the parents and children connected with the school by email or on their website.

Schools may shut down if this happens although they will have to justify their actions to the Danish Agency for Education and on their website.  

SWITZERLAND 

Schools are re-opening this month in Switzerland, with Basel returning earlier this week and Zurich on August 17. 

Authorities in Basel said 26,000 children had returned to school on Monday, with pupils and teachers expected to keep their distance from each other. 

Officials say hundreds of classrooms have been reconfigured over the holidays with unnecessary furniture removed to make more space for children to sit. 

In Zurich, there is no mandatory safety distance for pupils in the three youngest year groups, while older children are expected to keep 1.5m apart. 

Pupils are required to wear masks when they pass through the school buildings, but not during lessons or in the playground. 

However, masks will be handed out by schools in Zurich so that pupils can wear them on public transport when they travel to school.   

School trips are also allowed as long as staff draw up specific hygiene plans that conform with government requirements. 

AUSTRIA 

Schools in Austria – which has been praised for keeping its death toll relatively low during the pandemic – will return in early September. 

Vienna has abolished the compulsory face-mask rule which was in place when pupils first went back before the summer holidays. 

However, pupils will still have to wear masks when they travel to school on public transport under Austrian government rules.  

Sports lessons have been allowed since early June, with individual schools left to decide on appropriate health measures. 

Singing and after-school activities are also allowed – with up to 250 children allowed to gather indoors and 500 outdoors. 

However, most children are expected to observe a one-metre safety distance, including with floor markings and one-way systems if necessary.  

Austrian authorities have drawn up diagrams of how classrooms should be laid out so that children can sit one metre apart during lessons.  

ITALY

Italian schools have been shut nationwide since March 5 after Italy became the first European country to suffer a major coronavirus outbreak. 

However, the country’s education minister announced in May that all schools would re-open in September, with distance learning continuing only for ’emergency reasons’. 

In the hardest-hit region of Lombardy, kindergartens will re-open on September 7 and older children will return to classrooms on September 14.  

The government has not yet decided whether pupils will be required to wear masks, although children aged six and under will not. 

Officials say it is impractical to test everyone’s temperature when they arrive at school, but children with a fever are required to stay away.  

Lunch hours will be staggered so that children can still eat together, although they may have to do this in their classroom if the canteen is not properly equipped. 

 

source: dailymail.co.uk