SHARE
COPY LINK

HEALTH

UPDATE: What does it mean if my French département is a red zone for Covid-19?

The French health ministry this weekend added seven départements to the total list of 'red' zones with rapidly rising Covid-19 numbers. But what impact does the categorisation have on daily life in those areas?

UPDATE: What does it mean if my French département is a red zone for Covid-19?
What changes for red départements in France. Photo: AFP

The first two départements to be bumped up to red level after the nationwide confinement were Paris and Bouches-du-Rhône in the south on August 14th. Others quickly followed suit.

A few weeks later and the list of red zones has grown to include a total of 42 départements, following weeks of rising coronavirus rates across France.

The virus is circulating more and more in France,” the French PM Jean Castex said on Friday September 11th when he announced the number of “red” départements had risen from 28 to 42.

To be categorised as a red zone, the health ministry looks at the number of new cases, but also other indicators such as hospital rates, positive test rates, the number of clusters, which are detailed in public health agency Santé Publique France's weekly reports.

The red zones are called “zone de circulation active” (zone of active circulation).

Where are the red zones?

The current list of 42 red départements is as follows: 

Seine et Marne, Yvelines, Essonne, Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis, Val-de-Marne, Val-d’Oise, Loiret, Côte d’Or, Seine-Maritime, Nord, Pas-de-Calais, Bas-Rhin, Sarthe, Maine-et-Loire, Loire-Atlantique ;
Îlle et Vilaine, Gironde, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Hérault, Haute-Garonne, Gard, Tarn-et-Garonne, Pyréné, Orientales, Aude, Rhône, Ain,  Puy-de-Dôme, Loire, Isère, Alpes-Maritimes, Bouches du Rhône, Var, Vaucluse, Corse-du-Sud, Haute-Corse.

The overseas départements of Guadeloupe, La Reunion and Martinique are also red zones.

Guyane and Mayotte are classed purple because they are still under a state of health emergency.

Why is it classed as a red zone?

It means that the area has a level of coronavirus spread that has surpassed the alert threshold set by health authorities of 50 positive cases per 100,000 inhabitants over the course of a week.

The figure is calculated on the number of positive PCR tests (nose swabs) recorded in the départment.

A département can also be labelled red if it has registered close to 50 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants for example if it is neighbouring a département with a high level of circulation, the health ministry said on their website.

The ministry considers “all indicators furnished by Santé Publique France (positivity rate, hospital pressure, number of tests performed, test positivity rate, change in the number of clusters, etc.),” they wrote.

While the red label is a sign of concern, the government stressed since they began to ease lockdown in May that the pandemic was still present on the territory and local areas would see a resurgence as life returned to normal.

By keeping a close eye on the development in each area they want to let local authorities take measures suited to their specific circumstances rather than only making blanket rules on a nationwide level. 

IN NUMBERS: How fast are France's Covid-19 rates increasing?

So what does it mean for day-to-day life in those places?

When the French health ministry label a zone red, local authorities get extended powers to take measures to stem the spread in that area. 

Among those powers are;

  • A restriction on movement – this could include restriction movement in certain areas or bringing in travel restrictions similar to those seen in May when all non-essential trips of more then 100km were banned. There could also be a ban on non-essential trips in or out of the département or in certain towns and cities.
  • Closure of bars and restaurants – local authorities have the power to close specific businesses if they are linked to a Covid cluster, or more generally either close all of a certain type of business or impose restrictions, such as limiting bars and cafés to serving on outside terraces only.
  • It's not just bars and restaurants, authorities have the power to close all non-essential places open to the public such as cinemas and museums, plus places were people tend to gather in numbers such as beaches, parks and gardens. They can also close markets.
  • Limits on gatherings – the decree states that local authorities in red zones can “prohibit, regulate or restrict gatherings or meetings” including religious gatherings but not funerals.

Health authorities can also decide to step up testing in these red zones as well as boost hospital resources if necessary.

And even when zones are not red…

  • Local authorities in all areas have the power to impose stricter rules on mask wearing and around 400 have already done so. This however is not dependent on the red zone label but often comes with it as authorities seek to act.
  • They can also limit transport to airports and boat trips

However just because authorities can impose these restrictions doesn't mean that they will, or at least not all of them.

Although as of September 10th most local authorities had not made use of their powers with very few extra restrictions imposed in red départements.

In the départements of Nord bars were ordered to close at 12.30am and the same measure was taken in Marseille. There is speculation Paris will be the next to see bar closures but at the time of this update no action had been taken.

 

 

 

 

 

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

LIVING IN FRANCE

5 tips to have the best possible night at France’s Fête de la musique

It can be the most fun day of the year - when France goes music crazy and bands suddenly appear on every street corner - but there are some tips to make your Fête de la musique experience as good as it can possibly be.

5 tips to have the best possible night at France's Fête de la musique

First, a caveat – this is an entirely personal manifesto based on the things that I have enjoyed over my Fête de la Musique outings over the years. It’s not intended as any kind of hard-and-fast rule and plenty of people will have different experiences.

Feel free to disagree and/or share your festival tips in the comments section below!

1 Ignore the big-name artists

There are always a few big-name artists or concerts in major venues on the Fête de la musique (which happens every year on June 21st).

Ignore them. Sure, stadiums gigs can be great and huge venues can have a wonderful atmosphere – but you can do that any night of the year. It’s not what Fête de la musique is about.

The true spirit of the Fête is the smaller acts who play on street corners, in bars and community venues. They’re free, you can wander between them and stay as long as you like – and there is always something else around the corner.

2 Ignore the big towns

You might think that the big cities have the best music, but if you have the choice, go for a small town or a suburb.

I’ve enjoyed some good Fêtes in Paris, but the best experiences had have been smaller towns or the Paris’ suburbs (Montreuil is good – a commune that carefully cultivates a small-town / village vibe, albeit a very diverse small town where everyone is a hippy, a leftist, or both).

It’s partly a practicality thing – in big cities the acts are spread out and you have to make plans to see something and meet up with friends. In small towns, you just wander along to the main square, then when you’ve seen the acts there, you can saunter up the side streets, each of which will have dozens of bands playing, pausing only to grab a beer and snacks.

But it’s also the vibe; in big cities you can hear good live music all the time and the population is consequently complacent – small towns truly appreciate the Fête de la musique and properly go wild.

Once, in Paris, I was watching a blues band play in the street when a woman tipped water on their heads from her apartment window because she was tired and wanted to go to sleep. Small towns appreciate it when bands play for them.

3 Experiment

There’s a lot of variety on the night, so take advantage – this is your opportunity to hear all kinds of live music from rock to swing, jazz to classical, choirs to DJs.

Didn’t think that a five-piece oud band is your thing? Fête de la musique may change your mind. It’s the night of the year when anything goes, musically, so it’s also the night to try something new.

If you hate it – well it’s free and there’s another band down the street that might be more your thing. But you might discover a lifetime passion for oud music – in fact, by this time next year you might be playing in the oud band. Thanks to the Fête de la musique.

4 Don’t insist on quality

You’ll hear some great bands, but you’ll also hear some that are more about enthusiasm – and that’s all part of the fun.

You’re going to be hearing everything from classic rock to reggae to blues to the above-mentioned five-piece oud band, and as well as the styles the quality may be variable to.

For me, the true spirit of Fête de la musique is the 50-year-old accountant rocking out on his guitar and enjoying the one night of the year when he can dream that if only he hadn’t given up on his high school band, he could now be rich, famous and selling out stadiums, as opposed to filing tax declarations in an office above the florist.

5 Dress comfortably

Some people like to dress up for the Fête and that’s great – it’s a party after all – but the key thing is to wear something that is comfortable and allows you to shake your stuff.

Yes, you will be dancing – you’ll be dancing on street corners, in parks, cafés and perhaps on street furniture if things really get going, and you’ll be dancing with kids, dapper 70-year-old gents and everyone in between.

You need comfortable shoes and clothes that you can really move in.

Dance like no-one is watching. They may be watching, but they won’t be judging. Much. It’s Fête de la musique.

SHOW COMMENTS