intensified checks from Friday at stations, airports and tolls

“A race against time is on.” This is what Matignon wrote on Friday in a press release published at the end of a meeting between the Prime Minister, Jean Castex, and the prefects and directors general of the ARS of the 19 departments subject to reinforced measures against the Covid. From this detailed point of view emerged a turn of the screw: the controls will “intensify” from Friday in the “stations, airports and road tolls”, while “continuing the controls of respect of the barrier gestures” to fight against the Covid-19.

19 departments in “reinforced braking” measures

These measures, announced by the Minister of the Interior Gerald Darmanin, come at a time when the epidemic situation is “critical with the entry into action of the third wave and the predominance of the British variant”. Jean Castex estimated before the prefects and directors of the ARS that “more than ever, we need the State, whatever we do and whatever we say about it”.

Since the Nièvre, the Rhône and the Aube joined the list on Thursday, 19 departments are subject to measures of “reinforced braking” of the epidemic: no travel more than 10 km without exemption, no exit from the region without a compelling reason, new shops closed and high school half-classes.

“These coming weeks will be difficult, we will take all the necessary measures in due time and in my eyes there is no taboo”, warned the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron, late Thursday evening after a European Council in videoconferencing.