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LOU BARON
Photojournalist and filmmaker
Confinement in Perpignan during Covid-19
On January 8, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the appearance of a new form of coronavirus, Covid 19, in China, in Wuhan, in the province of Hubei. On January 30, the WHO declared an international emergency, but as travel around the world was not restricted, the virus spread across the planet.
In total, around 200 countries and territories have been affected by this global health crisis. As of May 13, 2020, 4,261,747 cases have been recorded worldwide, according to data compiled by the American Johns Hopkins University, with a total of 291,942 deaths.
Since March 17, the French have been confined to limit the spread of the epidemic. This virus being deadly, it has become one of the priorities of the French state. A state of health emergency was announced, travel was prohibited unless they were in possession of an exceptional exemption certificate.
Since the start of the epidemic, according to L'Internaute, there have been 27,425 deaths in France, including 34 deaths in the Pyrénées-Orientales department according to figures from May 11, the date of the start of deconfinement.
According to Aurélien Barrau, doctor of philosophy and French astrophysicist specializing in general relativity, black hole physics and cosmology, this epidemic is still today a social fact which requires collective awareness because it has affected everyone, whatever the classes and cultures: “It is time to think. This is what we must do on an individual level. This Covid-19 crisis reminded us that we were still capable of acting on the reality around us. If the aim of the game is simply to continue the shipwreck for a few more years, then truly, we are an unreasonable species. »
On the other hand, according to Antoine Gasquet, editorial director of La Semaine du Roussillon, a weekly newspaper in the Pyrénées-Orientales, "Awareness has accelerated for a good number of us", "For many there will be a before and after Covid-19. Something to be optimistic about. The period that is opening may ultimately lead to new, better days. Days when we will start to appreciate the simple pleasures whose importance we ended up forgetting. »
The French government has implemented health alert campaigns in all major French cities to prevent the spread of the virus, which has paralyzed much of the country.
Gendarmerie and police patrols criss-crossed France, enforcing the law on exceptional travel permits. The authorizations concerned travel for essential purchases, for work if telecommuting was impossible, for medical treatment if it was not possible to do so remotely, for family reasons, to carry out an individual physical activity, to attend a judicial or administrative summons and to carry out missions of general interest. Disobeying this rule carried a fine of 135 euros per individual.
To further reduce the exceptional spread of the pandemic in Perpignan, the Prefect of Pyrénées-Orientales was the first in France to introduce a curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Saturday March 21, which will be reduced from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. from April 15, 2020. Indeed, on March 26, 2020, Le Monde newspaper announced Perpignan as the epicenter of the Occitanie disease.
Gendarmerie and police patrols criss-crossed France, enforcing the law on exceptional travel permits. The authorizations concerned travel for essential purchases, for work if telecommuting was impossible, for medical treatment if it was not possible to do so remotely, for family reasons, to carry out an individual physical activity, to attend a judicial or administrative summons and to carry out missions of general interest. Disobeying this rule carried a fine of 135 euros per individual.
To further reduce the exceptional spread of the pandemic in Perpignan, the Prefect of Pyrénées-Orientales was the first in France to introduce a curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Saturday March 21, which will be reduced from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. from April 15, 2020. Indeed, on March 26, 2020, Le Monde newspaper announced Perpignan as the epicenter of the Occitanie disease.
Perpignan station, like the rest of France's infrastructure, has also had to cope with the restrictions caused by Covid-19. The drastic reduction in travel had a major impact on rail traffic. In fact, only 42 TGVs per day out of the usual 700 were in service as of March 31, 2020, according to SNCF. On the TER side, SNCF announced 18% of the usual traffic, with 1,730 trains per day. Only travelers with a legitimate business or derogatory travel certificate could access the TER and TGV trains in circulation. SNCF assured us that there was "very, very little traffic, with less than 100 customers per train", which made it possible to apply the distanciation recommended by the French government. According to an article in L'Indépendant published on May 02, 2020, containment has already cost SNCF more than two billion euros.
According to L'Indépendant, public transport services in Perpignan and the 36 communes in its conurbation were limited to between 2,000 and 4,000 journeys a day during the lockdown, compared with the usual 35,000. The consequence of this 89% to 94% drop was deserted bus stops, with only a few buses per day and very few passengers in downtown Perpignan.
Across the whole of the Occitanie region, public transport ridership fell by 87% in Toulouse and 89% in Montpellier, according to the March 26 issue of L'Indépendant.
Inter-regional bus traffic in Occitanie was also reduced, with one to three round trips per day depending on the route, and was made free of charge throughout the containment period.
All transport operators had health instructions to be applied in their coaches.
Across the whole of the Occitanie region, public transport ridership fell by 87% in Toulouse and 89% in Montpellier, according to the March 26 issue of L'Indépendant.
Inter-regional bus traffic in Occitanie was also reduced, with one to three round trips per day depending on the route, and was made free of charge throughout the containment period.
All transport operators had health instructions to be applied in their coaches.
With the use of vehicles restricted by the derogatory travel certificate, road traffic has fallen sharply.
The weekly newspaper La Semaine du Roussillon reported on May 13 that the reduction in traffic had led to a marked improvement in air quality, with a 70% drop in nitrogen oxide concentrations in the Toulouse metropolitan area.
Beyond transport, the entire economic and cultural world has collapsed. According to an Insee study, economic activity in the département had fallen by over 30%. After a weekly meeting, the Occitanie regional economic continuity unit had declared that regional economic activity had fallen by a third overall, which was comparable to the national level of decline. As of May 5, 57% of private-sector employees in the Pyrénées-Orientales were on part-time working.
All the department's cultural events have been cancelled until August. The first major festival to be announced, Visa pour l'image, is scheduled to take place from August 29 to September 13.
September, thus boosting cultural activity.
The weekly newspaper La Semaine du Roussillon reported on May 13 that the reduction in traffic had led to a marked improvement in air quality, with a 70% drop in nitrogen oxide concentrations in the Toulouse metropolitan area.
Beyond transport, the entire economic and cultural world has collapsed. According to an Insee study, economic activity in the département had fallen by over 30%. After a weekly meeting, the Occitanie regional economic continuity unit had declared that regional economic activity had fallen by a third overall, which was comparable to the national level of decline. As of May 5, 57% of private-sector employees in the Pyrénées-Orientales were on part-time working.
All the department's cultural events have been cancelled until August. The first major festival to be announced, Visa pour l'image, is scheduled to take place from August 29 to September 13.
September, thus boosting cultural activity.
Between the Saint-Jacques and Saint Mathieu districts, two epicenters of the epidemic in Perpignan, the gypsy community has been particularly hard hit by the coronavirus. In particular, it has been accused of bringing the virus from an evangelical gathering in Mulhouse.
According to La Semaine du Roussillon of May 13, Nick Gimenez, mediator for the gypsy community in Perpignan, explained that this was untrue, that they had never been to Mulhouse for lack of money, before adding: "There was the rally for Puigdemont, then the elections on March 15. Only then did it affect our community (...) Out of 34 deaths in the P.O., a dozen were Gypsies (...) On the radio they said we were 90% affected, but that's not true! (...) We're being falsely accused. In supermarkets, we're judged to be carriers of the virus. According to L'Indépendant of April 23, Gino Cargol, one of the community's mediators, explained that they would be affected because they live in a community and are a high-risk population due to obesity, heart problems and diabetes.
After numerous "hateful and discriminatory" comments on social networks, some members of the community decided to act for the good of the residents, as explained in
l'Indépendant on April 7: "We ask the elderly, the sick and the frailest to stay at home
to stay at home, and we try to make ourselves useful. We do the shopping for them, fetch the bottles, etc. Then we go on tour and, even though the pastors do a lot of the work, sometimes even door-to-door, we raise awareness of everything that needs to be done, and especially of keeping the streets clean."
According to La Semaine du Roussillon of May 13, Nick Gimenez, mediator for the gypsy community in Perpignan, explained that this was untrue, that they had never been to Mulhouse for lack of money, before adding: "There was the rally for Puigdemont, then the elections on March 15. Only then did it affect our community (...) Out of 34 deaths in the P.O., a dozen were Gypsies (...) On the radio they said we were 90% affected, but that's not true! (...) We're being falsely accused. In supermarkets, we're judged to be carriers of the virus. According to L'Indépendant of April 23, Gino Cargol, one of the community's mediators, explained that they would be affected because they live in a community and are a high-risk population due to obesity, heart problems and diabetes.
After numerous "hateful and discriminatory" comments on social networks, some members of the community decided to act for the good of the residents, as explained in
l'Indépendant on April 7: "We ask the elderly, the sick and the frailest to stay at home
to stay at home, and we try to make ourselves useful. We do the shopping for them, fetch the bottles, etc. Then we go on tour and, even though the pastors do a lot of the work, sometimes even door-to-door, we raise awareness of everything that needs to be done, and especially of keeping the streets clean."
Perpignan's cleaning and maintenance staff were hard at work during the epidemic. Up very early to avoid running into anyone, these agents did their utmost to limit the spread of the virus. To disinfect the streets, they used diluted bleach, even though the health authorities strongly advised against it.
While these practices may seem to reflect a genuine desire to satisfy the demands of local residents, they would appear to be of no use in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus, and could even prove dangerous for the environment, according to Le Monde of April 1.
While these practices may seem to reflect a genuine desire to satisfy the demands of local residents, they would appear to be of no use in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus, and could even prove dangerous for the environment, according to Le Monde of April 1.
Pharmacies had to reorganize to meet the demands of the fight against the epidemic, while continuing to provide treatment to patients. They had to cope with new practices during the containment period, such as telephone assistance, exceptional treatment renewals and the reception of battered women. In pharmacies, patients were sometimes asked to present their prescriptions at an outside counter, thus avoiding contact between individuals. Inside the pharmacy, Plexiglas was installed at the checkout counters, along with a directional signage system.
Santé Magazine emphasizes that pharmacists had to "regulate patient flows, but also raise awareness of barrier gestures and social distancing measures, emphasizing the importance of containment". They also had to manage the sale of masks, which was reserved for healthcare professionals only. What's more, these masks were rationed, which made their distribution complicated. According to an article in L'Indépendant, "the first stocks sold at the start of the crisis, distributed by the State, were out of date", says Jean-Marie Guillermin, President of the Midi-Pyrénées Pharmacists Association. "We've been asked for weeks to be as thrifty as possible, to prioritize the sale of masks, and now the supermarkets are suddenly arriving".
Santé Magazine emphasizes that pharmacists had to "regulate patient flows, but also raise awareness of barrier gestures and social distancing measures, emphasizing the importance of containment". They also had to manage the sale of masks, which was reserved for healthcare professionals only. What's more, these masks were rationed, which made their distribution complicated. According to an article in L'Indépendant, "the first stocks sold at the start of the crisis, distributed by the State, were out of date", says Jean-Marie Guillermin, President of the Midi-Pyrénées Pharmacists Association. "We've been asked for weeks to be as thrifty as possible, to prioritize the sale of masks, and now the supermarkets are suddenly arriving".
Isabelle, a self-employed nurse working with the elderly, has been making her rounds since the start of the containment with the fear of being a healthy carrier and contaminating her patients. Luckily, so far, none of them have been infected, "but if one of them had been ill, we'd have had to reorganize our rounds and wear our 'cosmonaut' outfits, afraid of passing on the virus from patient to patient". The lack of available equipment generated daily stress. The few FFP2 masks available to protect patients and themselves were donated to hospitals. Private nurses were given only FFP1 masks to prevent transmission of the virus, with a quota of 6 per week, although they had to be changed every 4 hours.
Finally, the obligation to carry out barrier procedures created a lack of social contact with patients
who often experienced the confinement period alone.
Finally, the obligation to carry out barrier procedures created a lack of social contact with patients
who often experienced the confinement period alone.
The Fédération du Commerce et de la Distribution (FDC) distributed its "guide to good practice" to all supermarkets at the start of the containment period. In order to continue supplying food, many chains applied the FDC's measures to ensure the safety of customers and staff, for example by limiting the number of customers inside stores. According to the newspaper l'Indépendant, on the whole it was "a military organization" that was implemented. The Monoprix store in downtown Perpignan, taken by surprise by the state of emergency, had
The Monoprix store in downtown Perpignan, caught unawares by the state of emergency, was quick to write down on a large sheet of paper the instructions to be followed inside the store as soon as the lockdown began.
A few hours before the government's announcements to combat the coronavirus epidemic, supermarkets had to cope with an influx of customers. As a result, shelves were almost completely emptied. On Monday March 16, sales for supermarkets soared by 237%, according to an article in the French newspaper l'Opinion.
In the third week of the lockdown, according to the Institut de Recherche et d'Innovation (IRI), hypermarket sales were down 8%, while supermarket sales were up 16%. Hypermarkets were penalized by their location on the outskirts of towns, and by consumers' desire to avoid crowds.
The Monoprix store in downtown Perpignan, caught unawares by the state of emergency, was quick to write down on a large sheet of paper the instructions to be followed inside the store as soon as the lockdown began.
A few hours before the government's announcements to combat the coronavirus epidemic, supermarkets had to cope with an influx of customers. As a result, shelves were almost completely emptied. On Monday March 16, sales for supermarkets soared by 237%, according to an article in the French newspaper l'Opinion.
In the third week of the lockdown, according to the Institut de Recherche et d'Innovation (IRI), hypermarket sales were down 8%, while supermarket sales were up 16%. Hypermarkets were penalized by their location on the outskirts of towns, and by consumers' desire to avoid crowds.
The management of most stores installed Plexiglas at checkouts to reduce contact between customers and staff, but this was not enough for employees who demanded masks, fearing they were not sufficiently protected. Some went to work afraid of taking the virus home with them, and passing it on to their loved ones.
In order to respect the one-meter spacing between different customers, floor markings were put up in some of the department's stores. According to an article in ActuEL HSE, Sylvie Vachoux, federal secretary of the CGT's commerce and services federation, stated that "Normally, all supermarket chains had put in place protective measures in their stores, but according to the feedback we have received from our elected representatives and employees, some managers were reluctant to equip their staff, or had not grasped the scale of the health crisis".
The newspaper La Tribune reported that the CGT Commerce had filed a complaint against Carrefour with the Bobigny judicial court and against the Minister of Labor with the French Court of Justice, claiming that retail employees lacked protection against the coronavirus. At a Carrefour store in Saint-Denis, Aïcha Issadouene, an employee and CGT union delegate, died of Covid-19 on March 26. « La CGT fait valoir que les vitres en plexiglas protégeant les caissières n’ont été mises en place que le 20 mars dans cet établissement, que le personnel n’a pas reçu de masques et que tous les rayons sont ouverts au public, et non les seuls rayons correspondants à des achats de première nécessité. »
In order to respect the one-meter spacing between different customers, floor markings were put up in some of the department's stores. According to an article in ActuEL HSE, Sylvie Vachoux, federal secretary of the CGT's commerce and services federation, stated that "Normally, all supermarket chains had put in place protective measures in their stores, but according to the feedback we have received from our elected representatives and employees, some managers were reluctant to equip their staff, or had not grasped the scale of the health crisis".
The newspaper La Tribune reported that the CGT Commerce had filed a complaint against Carrefour with the Bobigny judicial court and against the Minister of Labor with the French Court of Justice, claiming that retail employees lacked protection against the coronavirus. At a Carrefour store in Saint-Denis, Aïcha Issadouene, an employee and CGT union delegate, died of Covid-19 on March 26. « La CGT fait valoir que les vitres en plexiglas protégeant les caissières n’ont été mises en place que le 20 mars dans cet établissement, que le personnel n’a pas reçu de masques et que tous les rayons sont ouverts au public, et non les seuls rayons correspondants à des achats de première nécessité. »
The hairdressers were informed of the safety measures to be taken the day before the decontamination in the late afternoon, but it took around 3 weeks to have the essential equipment for the health crisis delivered: disposable bathrobes, disposable towels, hydro-alcoholic gel, masks, glasses or visors. In addition, decontamination has led to a reduction in the pace of work, since the room has to be cleaned and disinfected between each customer, resulting in a daily loss of around 1 hour. To make up for this loss as much as possible, Jean had to increase his prices by 2.50 euros. Last but not least, he has had to suspend certain friendly gestures such as offering coffee, making magazines available or hanging up his customers' jackets, making the welcome in his salon less pleasant.
In front of the Arago post office in Perpignan, many people were queuing up to access the bank's services. As a result of the confinement, many people found themselves in partial or total shutdown, making living conditions difficult. The French government set up an exceptional solidarity scheme to help low-income households cope with the crisis. The aid was capped at 150 euros per person receiving the Revenu de Solidarité Active (RSA) or the Allocation de Solidarité Spécifique (ASS), and up to 550 euros for a household with 4 children. Unemployed people have seen their benefits extended. And self-employed and self-employed professionals received up to 1,500 euros a month during the period of confinement. Despite these benefits, some people were still left in a precarious situation, particularly some young people under the age of 25, who were entitled to nothing. To remedy this situation, the government has announced that it will pay out 200 euros in aid on June 15.
In the Occitanie region, according to the weekly La Semaine du Roussillon, 109,000 companies have
partial activity requests for a total of 841,000 employees. The solidarity fund for the professions and small businesses benefited 139,000 companies. The additional scheme set up by the Region to support companies whose sales fell by 40-50% in March helped nearly 1,350 businesses.Urssaf accepted 6,752 benevolent requests for deferral of social security charges.The number of state-guaranteed loans continues to rise, with a total of 36,698 companies benefiting from them for an average amount of €128,000.While business has slowed considerably in some establishments, in others it has been flat since the start of the crisis.Some small businesses are in danger of going out of business after containment.
In the Occitanie region, according to the weekly La Semaine du Roussillon, 109,000 companies have
partial activity requests for a total of 841,000 employees. The solidarity fund for the professions and small businesses benefited 139,000 companies. The additional scheme set up by the Region to support companies whose sales fell by 40-50% in March helped nearly 1,350 businesses.Urssaf accepted 6,752 benevolent requests for deferral of social security charges.The number of state-guaranteed loans continues to rise, with a total of 36,698 companies benefiting from them for an average amount of €128,000.While business has slowed considerably in some establishments, in others it has been flat since the start of the crisis.Some small businesses are in danger of going out of business after containment.
Despite the government's reforms, some poor people found it impossible to comply. Indeed, these people were forced to sleep rough, taking the full brunt of the risk of contracting and spreading covid-19. With the streets deserted, the homeless could no longer beg for food. According to an article in Le Parisien, a number of homeless people in France have been fined by the police for failing to comply with confinement regulations.
Since March 21, as part of the curfew and at the request of the Pyrénées-Orientales prefect, the regional health agency and the Red Cross, a reception center for the homeless has been set up in the Diaz municipal gymnasium in Perpignan's Vernet district. The Red Cross stated that the shelter had a capacity of 50 beds in side-by-side cots.
However, some of the homeless were still sleeping in the streets. Shelters are often the scene of theft and violence between homeless people, leading some to leave. According to L'Indépendant, a homeless woman was sexually assaulted in this temporary shelter.
What's more, the recommended distancing does not seem to be respected in this confined space, where many people were installed next to each other.
Since March 21, as part of the curfew and at the request of the Pyrénées-Orientales prefect, the regional health agency and the Red Cross, a reception center for the homeless has been set up in the Diaz municipal gymnasium in Perpignan's Vernet district. The Red Cross stated that the shelter had a capacity of 50 beds in side-by-side cots.
However, some of the homeless were still sleeping in the streets. Shelters are often the scene of theft and violence between homeless people, leading some to leave. According to L'Indépendant, a homeless woman was sexually assaulted in this temporary shelter.
What's more, the recommended distancing does not seem to be respected in this confined space, where many people were installed next to each other.
Sometimes announced as a cacophony of ideas according to Europe 1: "Rumors, denials and reversals follow one another, illustrating the difficulty, for the government, of managing uncertainty in a period of health crisis", the proposals made by the President of the Republic have aroused considerable controversy among some.
controversy.
The message "Macronavirus, when will it end?" originally featured on the front page of the January 29 issue of the weekly Charlie Hebdo, has become a slogan for demonstrating from home during periods of confinement. On April 21, this message was hung for the first time on the wall of a house in Toulouse. After an initial intervention by the police asking them to remove the banner, they returned the next day to hand out a summons to the residents, even though the banner had been removed the day before. A young woman was then held in police custody for four hours for "contempt". In reaction to this situation, numerous banners and graffiti were created all over France. The case was eventually closed and no further action was taken. According to an article in 20 minutes for the Ligue des Droit de l'Homme, this was "a victory for freedom of expression and citizen vigilance."
controversy.
The message "Macronavirus, when will it end?" originally featured on the front page of the January 29 issue of the weekly Charlie Hebdo, has become a slogan for demonstrating from home during periods of confinement. On April 21, this message was hung for the first time on the wall of a house in Toulouse. After an initial intervention by the police asking them to remove the banner, they returned the next day to hand out a summons to the residents, even though the banner had been removed the day before. A young woman was then held in police custody for four hours for "contempt". In reaction to this situation, numerous banners and graffiti were created all over France. The case was eventually closed and no further action was taken. According to an article in 20 minutes for the Ligue des Droit de l'Homme, this was "a victory for freedom of expression and citizen vigilance."
A collective thank-you has been in place since the start of containment for those coping with the virus. Indeed, every evening at 8pm, a large number of French people sat outside their windows or balconies to applaud those who have kept France going during this difficult period.
Nurses, cashiers, orderlies, doctors, farmers and others were congratulated for their bravery. Every day, they were confronted with the virus, with extraordinary pressure and sometimes excessive working hours. Sometimes without masks, and with little protection, even though millions of masks were sold in certain distribution chains as soon as decontamination began. "Every war has its profiteers. Where were these masks when our doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, physiotherapists, chiropodists, midwives and all our other staff in direct contact with the disease were shaking and falling every morning?
"These are the questions posed by the Ordres des professions de santé in a text entitled Les masques tombent. Many questions have been raised about the post-containment era.Philippe Moati, co-founder of the Observatoire société et consommation, explained on France Culture that the economic changes brought about by Covid-19 would "accelerate the division of society into two unequal parts: those who want to accelerate the transition to something else" - the famous "consume less but better" - and "those who are eager to return to the world of before, with all the frustrations this is likely to engender".
According to an article in the May 13 issue of L'Indépendant, a survey by Observatoire Cetelem revealed that "57% of French people believe that many things will change in their lifestyle after confinement, while the remaining 43% see this period as a mere parenthesis", and that after this period of "constrained frugality, 47% of French people hope to quickly rediscover the "pleasure of consuming", while 53% intend to "slow down".
2 During his May 1st speech, Emmanuel Macron thanked "the second order" for holding the nation together during this period.
Nurses, cashiers, orderlies, doctors, farmers and others were congratulated for their bravery. Every day, they were confronted with the virus, with extraordinary pressure and sometimes excessive working hours. Sometimes without masks, and with little protection, even though millions of masks were sold in certain distribution chains as soon as decontamination began. "Every war has its profiteers. Where were these masks when our doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, physiotherapists, chiropodists, midwives and all our other staff in direct contact with the disease were shaking and falling every morning?
"These are the questions posed by the Ordres des professions de santé in a text entitled Les masques tombent. Many questions have been raised about the post-containment era.Philippe Moati, co-founder of the Observatoire société et consommation, explained on France Culture that the economic changes brought about by Covid-19 would "accelerate the division of society into two unequal parts: those who want to accelerate the transition to something else" - the famous "consume less but better" - and "those who are eager to return to the world of before, with all the frustrations this is likely to engender".
According to an article in the May 13 issue of L'Indépendant, a survey by Observatoire Cetelem revealed that "57% of French people believe that many things will change in their lifestyle after confinement, while the remaining 43% see this period as a mere parenthesis", and that after this period of "constrained frugality, 47% of French people hope to quickly rediscover the "pleasure of consuming", while 53% intend to "slow down".
2 During his May 1st speech, Emmanuel Macron thanked "the second order" for holding the nation together during this period.
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