Report after report, the number of people hospitalized is decreasing. The latest bulletin from the Occitanie Regional Health Agency counts 438 people hospitalized throughout the region, 25 fewer than yesterday and 174 fewer than last week. The decline is not as rapid as the increase, since the coronavirus took more than a month to return to the level it reached on March 25, barely two weeks before the peak reached with 1,065 people hospitalized on April 6. Intensive care units are also leaving the red zone, with 104 people being treated in intensive care today, compared to over 330 patients in intensive care at the peak of the epidemic. And even if not all departments are in the same situation, the trend is downward for all. The eastern departments of the region, which were hit by the coronavirus earlier than the others, have seen a greater decline, such as Hérault, which now has only 66 people hospitalized, 14 fewer in the last 24 hours, after having had 271. Or the Pyrénées-Orientales, which has reached 9 people hospitalized after the department's hospitals had to admit 129 people in early April. The western departments of Occitanie were hit two to three weeks later in the second half of April and have therefore emerged from the peak of the epidemic for less time, such as the Hautes-Pyrénées, which still has 45 people hospitalized, nearly half of the 86 people who were hospitalized on April 14. But all are green on the deconfinement map, a sign that the virus is on the decline throughout the region.
Only 3 days left before the start of the lockdown easing
Edouard Philippe made it clear during his speech on Thursday, May 7th, that the lockdown easing should not be a sign of a relaxation of our vigilance
. We will therefore enter a period of transition between life in lockdown and full freedom starting Monday.
Travel within 100 km will no longer require justification
You will no longer need a duly justified Exceptional Travel Certificate to leave your home. However, travel beyond a 100-kilometer radius from home will need to be justified by a "compelling family or professional reason," with a new version of the Exceptional Travel Certificate. This may be for bereavement or to assist a vulnerable person. These 100 km will be calculated as the crow flies from your usual place of residence. I want to clarify, however, that this limit only applies if you leave your department of residence,
the Prime Minister clarified.
Gradual return of students to schools
Jean-Michel Blanquer announced a gradual resumption of classes in primary and secondary schools. Some towns, such as Soues, announced that schools would not open until May 11th. For others, May 11th will be dedicated to teachers' pre-return to school, and students will only return gradually from the following day. Students in the final year of kindergarten, first grade, and fifth grade will be the first. Each class will be allowed a maximum of 15 students. Parents may, however, decide to keep their children home to continue distance learning. This back-to-school season is not an ordinary one,
explained Jean-Michel Blanquer, it's a return. Children will be able to find themselves in four situations: at school in small groups, studying, in after-school facilities (sports, health, civics), or at home in distance learning. Middle schools will be able to begin operating the following week, and high schools will have to wait until the end of May to find out if they can open in early June. Students like those at ENIT or IUT Tarbes will have to wait until next September to return to their schools.
Resumption of activity
Commercial and economic activity will also gradually resume. All businesses will be able to open except for social spaces such as bars and restaurants. Shopping centers will also be able to reopen, but subject to the approval of the prefects to verify that all conditions are met for commercial activity to comply with social distancing measures. Interregional travel will gradually resume. At the national level, SNCF plans to increase its TGV and Intercités services from 7% currently to 20% on May 11, reaching 40% by the end of May. In Occitanie, the liO service will correspond to 50% of the usual transport plan, then 60% the following week. To enforce social distancing, every other seat on trains will be blocked. But on certain lines, such as the coast and the Toulouse star in particular, some trains will be doubled to increase passenger capacity in good sanitary conditions.
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