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HEALTH

Easing lockdown in France: What’s the difference if you live in a red and green département?

France has published its final 'coronavirus map' showing which départements are coloured red and green for when lockdown is eased on May 11th. But what will the difference be for those living in red or green départements?

Easing lockdown in France: What's the difference if you live in a red and green département?
Photo: Santé Publique, AFP

When Prime Minister Edouard Philippe presented his plan for lifting the lockdown, he said that each of the country's 96 mainland départements would be given their final colour designation on May 7th, in effect determining the extent of certain changes to their lockdown restrictions four days later.

On Thursday May 7th the Health Minster Oliver Véran presented the final version of the map that split the country into green and red zones, classifying each area according to its state of affairs regarding Covid-19 and consequently determining how some restrictions might be maintained or eased from May 11th onwards.

Three criteria are used to apply the red or green rating are:
  • The number of new cases being diagnosed
  • The capacity in local intensive care units 
  • Whether local authorities have a comprehensive testing and tracing programme in place

READ MORE: What is the criteria used to determine if a département is marked red or green?

But what will be the impact on daily life if a département is coloured red or green on and after May 11th?

Will it mean green départements will return to normal life and red ones will stay under strict lockdown?

Not exactly.

“Regarding the lifting of France’s lockdown measures, most of it will be the same regardless of the department in which you are located,” Minister of Health Olivier Véran said previously.

As it stands the main measures for after May 11th are set to be the same across the whole country for both red and green départments.

  • Primary schools will begin to reopen from May 11th, albeit progressively
  • Cafes, restaurants and bars will remain closed with a decision set to be taken before the end of May
  • People will be allowed out without a permission form if they are within 100km from their home. 
  • Trips further than 100km can only be for essential family of professional reasons.
  • Gatherings in public or private will be limited to 10 people
  • Beaches will remain closed across the country until at least June

READ MORE: REVEALED The plan for life in France after May 11th

But there are some things that will happen in green zones only from May 11th, although local authorities have the right to make changes in accordance with local conditions.

The main differences for those in green départements are the reopening of parks and gardens and from May 18th the possibility that secondary schools (colleges) can reopen.

Prior to Thursday the Ministry of the Interior has published a checklist of reopening.

Things that will stay closed in both red and green départements after May 11th;

  • Cinemas and theatres
  • Large museums or museums with a high number of visitors
  • Beaches and lakeside beaches
  • Sports centres
  • Holiday parks and campsites

Not allowed in red or green départements

  • Weddings (except in emergency circumstances)
  • Funerals with more than 20 people
  • Gatherings of more than 10 people

Things that will open in both red and green départements after May 11th;

  • Libraries, bookshops and small museums
  • Forests
  • Cemeteries

Things that can only open in green départements

  • Parks 
  • Colleges from May 18th

There are also likely to be some differences to school reopenings in different areas, but here the final decision is down to local authorities. Many mayors, particularly in the badly affected Paris region, say they do not feel ready to reopen primary schools.

In terms of public transport the government has also warned that there will be tight restrictions in the Paris region for at least three weeks. 

Presenting the first colour coded map last week Véran also suggested local authorities in red zones would have some extra powers.

“It will be possible if necessary to close schools, to close a certain number of shops and outdoor spaces,” he said.

The government has already decided that local authorities will have the power to close large shopping centres if necessary.

So while things may change after May 11th, depending on the spread of the virus and the government may decide to give more power to local authorities to maintain some of the stricter restrictions, the difference between being in a red zone département and a green one will initially not be that significant.

But on Thursday the French PM Edouard Philippe suggested the next phase of easing lockdown In June will also depend on whether départements are coloured red or green.

France's PM said those départments that remain coloured green in three weeks will be able to ease restrictions even further.

“The country is divided in two: in the major part we managed to slow down the epidemic wave (…) these are the green departments,” said Edouard Philippe. “If they stay green for the next three weeks, we can at the very beginning of June consider a new phase of deconfinement.”

That would not be the case for red départements.

He also suggested those living in red départements must be more vigilant with how they respect social distancing.

 

 


 

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HEALTH

How serious is the threat from dengue fever in France?

As tiger mosquitoes are now present in over 80 percent of mainland France, health authorities are worried that local transmission of tropical diseases, like dengue fever, will increase.

How serious is the threat from dengue fever in France?

As of January 2024, tiger mosquitoes – known for their ability to carry diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus – had been detected in 78 of France’s 96 mainland départements, including the Paris region.

This has left public health authorities concerned about the spread of dengue fever in France, particularly this summer as large crowds are expected amid the Olympic Games.

READ MORE: MAP: Tiger mosquitoes reach northern France

How common is dengue fever in France?

In the first four months of 2024, 1,679 cases of dengue fever were identified in mainland France, a number that is 13 times higher than the same period last year, Le Parisien reported.

Crucially, however, none of these are believed to have been contracted in mainland France – they were all reported among patients who had recently travelled from the tropical regions where dengue fever is common.

The majority of cases were from people who had visited the Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe – where the disease is endemic.

These islands are for administrative purposes part of France – so often show up in French health data – but they are roughly 7,000km away from Paris.

So far, there have not been any indigenous cases (autochtone – or people infected on mainland French soil) yet this year.

Local transmission of the disease remains relatively rare. In 2023, nine separate outbreaks of indigenous dengue transmission were identified, one of which occurred in the Paris region. These led to 45 cases of local transmission (in mainland France).

Most were in southern France – in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Occitanie and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions – though one outbreak occurred in the Paris region, according to French public health authorities.

This is less than 2022, which was a notable year with 66 total cases of indigenous dengue fever were recorded. In comparison, between 2010 and 2021, only 48 cases (total) were recorded.

What to expect for 2024

Experts believe that the number of cases in France, including indigenous ones, will grow this year, as tiger mosquitoes now occupy more territory in mainland France.

On top of that, the number of cases has increased significantly in Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“What we see in France is a mirror image of what is happening in the French Caribbean, and more widely in Latin America and the rest of the Caribbean, where dengue fever has been circulating since the start of the year at unprecedented levels”, the head of Santé Publique France, Dr Caroline Semaille, said during a press conference.

The Olympic Games will also bring an influx of tourists from all over the world, and weather conditions are expected to be conducive to mosquitoes – a year with a lot of rainfall, and potentially high temperatures. 

What is dengue fever?

The disease is spread to people from bites by infected mosquitoes.

The most common symptoms are high fever, chills, abdominal, joint and muscle pains, and vomiting. It can also cause a skin rash that resembles measles, according to France’s Institut Pasteur.

Symptoms usually begin three to 14 days (with an average of four to seven) after being bitten.

However people are asymptomatic in 50 to 90 percent of cases (depending on the epidemic), which can make monitoring difficult.

At-risk groups include the immunocompromised, children and the elderly, who are more likely to suffer from severe forms of the disease.

Deaths from the disease are very rare, occurring in around 0.01 percent of all cases, almost all in countries that have poor healthcare systems.

How can I avoid tiger mosquitoes?

Female tiger mosquitoes lay their eggs in water, and they can lay several hundred eggs at once. Therefore try to avoid having any standing water outside your home and be aware of the items that might collect rainwater.

This includes regularly emptying vases, flower pots, as well as watering cans and pots. If you want to collect rainwater, you could cover water butts with mosquito nets or fabric to keep the mosquitoes from getting inside.

READ ALSO 5 plants that (allegedly) repel mosquitoes

You can also keep your gutters clean – this helps to keep the water flowing when it rains, and it avoids any stagnant pools from building up.

To protect yourself, try to wear long, loose and light-coloured clothing, in addition to insect repellent. You might also consider wearing a mosquito net head gear.

The main difference between tiger mosquitoes and other species would be getting a bite during the day, and the fact that tiger mosquitoes are likely to bite several times. You can tell for sure if it was a tiger mosquito by seeing the insect itself. They are also silent.

There is no immediate cause for alarm if you are bitten, in almost all cases the bites are just itchy and annoying. In very rare cases, tropical diseases can be spread by the mosquitoes – seek medical help if you develop a high fever and rash.

READ MORE: How to prevent the spread of tiger mosquitoes in France

What do tiger mosquitoes look like?

They are very small, about 5 mm, and they have a highly contrasting colour, with black and white stripes on their body and legs.

If you believe you have spotted a tiger mosquito, you can report it to public health authorities online.

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