Riviera Radio Lunchtime News Tuesday 21st April 2020

Reopening of schools announced by France’s education minister - France’s Education Minister Jean Michel Blanquer has revealed this morning the stages of a “gradual reopening of schools” as part of the end of the confinement.

Questioned the National Assembly, Jean-Michel Blanquer unveiled his calendar for a "progressive" return saying that France will not be resuming classes normally”.

• The first week, that of May 11th, will see a return for pupils of last year nursery school the “Grande section” and the first year of primary the CP and last year of primary school the CM2.

• The week of May 18th will see 6 year and 3rd year, students in secondary education as well as students of Première and Terminale return.

• And finally, the week of May 25th, will see all classes resume lessons.

Less than 6% of French people have been infected with the coronavirus according to the Pasteur Institute – Figures from the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region show that approximately 3.4% of the population in the region will have been infected with the coronavirus by May 11th.

According to the Pasteur Institute on a national level “less than 6% of French people have been infected with the coronavirus”, a level which for the Institute is “insufficient”, in order to avoid a second epidemic wave if all measures were completely lifted after May 11th.

The Institute adds that "For collective immunity to be sufficient and to avoid a second wave, 70% of people with immunity is required”. Therefore, "in order to avoid, at the end of confinement, a second major wave of the virus, measures must be maintained,"

Carried out by the Pasteur Institute in collaboration with the public health agency France and Inserm, the study is based on mathematical and statistical models.

Regional Health Agency announces increase in number of people testing positive - The Regional Health Agency for the Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur region has said that the number of people who tested positive for the Covid-19 coronavirus in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region since the start of the epidemic, continues to climb.

198 new cases of Covid-19 coronavirus were detected in 24 hours, bringing to 13,146 the number of positive people in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur since February 28th.

On a national level more than 20,000 deaths were declared in France on Monday evening, with 114,657 cases of Covid-19 confirmed in France.

For any questions about the COVID 19 coronavirus, a free phone number is available in France 0 800 130 000.

Health professional and police officers file a complaint against French health authorities - Meanwhile ten health professionals in the Var and the Bouche de Rhone region have filed a complaint against the French health authorities.

Midwives, nurses, physiotherapists and police officers are among those accusing the authorities of “not guaranteeing their safety in order to carry out the duties of their profession”.

Faced with the COVID-19 epidemic, 4 midwives, 2 physiotherapists, 2 nurses and two police officers believe they “risked their own health, that of their family, their patients or their colleagues”.

The complaint concerns the General Directorate of Health, the National Public Health Agency and the Pharmaceutical Establishment for the Protection of Populations in the face of serious sanitary measures.

Former French President is still “connected” in an interview with the Parisien Newspaper - Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is currently spending the lockdown with his family at his villa at Cap Nègre in the Var, has in an interview with the Parisien newspaper said that while he is no longer President he is nonetheless “connected” and “in contact” with President Macron.

Speaking about the coronavirus and in agreement with Emmanuel Macron, Nicolas Sarkozy says he “takes Professor Raoult's hydroxychloroquine tests very seriously”. The former President is said to have confessed that he considers the professor " a great man", "with a respectable career" and "that we must listen to what he has to say". Sarkozy met with the professor on April 9th.

CCI Nice Côte d’Azur - According to a survey carried out by the Nice Côte d'Azur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) to which 2,487 companies replied, 93% say they are "impacted" by the measures taken to fight the Covid-19 coronavirus epidemic.

A third of companies surveyed by the CCI Nice Côte d'Azur indicate that confinement measures have completely stopped their activity. This is particularly the case for restaurants, bars and hairdressing salons.

More than 10,000 businesses on the French Riviera have already made a partial activity request to the Regional Directorate for Business, Competition, Consumption and Employment in order to obtain part of the costs.

"Unidentified rolling object" - French police have controlled what has been described as an “unidentified rolling object” in south western France. The driver of the “half mountain bike, half sidecar” received a fine of 135 euros for failing to have a valid reason to be out during lockdown and no license.

 

 

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