While the health crisis linked to the coronavirus is worsening Overseas as in France, Annick Girardin spoke at a press conference. She specifies that the overseas territories are not yet at stage 3, but that the state of health emergency will be applied, as in France.
This Wednesday, March 18, at the end of the Council of Ministers, Annick Girardin, Minister of Overseas Territories, spoke at a press conference. The Minister took stock of the progress of the coronavirus in the Overseas Territories. To date, more than 80 cases have been confirmed and eight territories are affected. Only Saint-Pierre and Miquelon as well as Wallis-and-Futuna have so far no proven case.
“Overseas is not yet at stage 3” first clarified the minister. "We must be able to prevent the arrival of the virus as much as possible". “The fear of failing to provoke unacceptable violent behavior in certain areas,” explained Annick Girardin. “We must also fight against false information and avoid rumors”, before recalling the right actions to adopt to avoid spreading the virus.
Responding to written questions sent in advance since it was a remote press conference, Annick Girardin explained that if confinement was decided for the Overseas Territories, it is “to slow down the spread of the disease as much as possible so that there is no peak attendance in our hospitals".
Message to French Ultramarines
"I ask the Ultramarins living outside their territory not to enter there during this period", recommended the Minister, "it would be a risk of spreading the virus".
For students in France, Ladom will identify the overseas students, to determine how many have left or remained in France. “You probably want to go home, but you are potentially carriers.”
Mandatory fortnight
"The fortnight is compulsory for all those who enter the overseas territories, a very strict fortnight", specifies Annick Girardin. “We have the same attention for the overseas territories as for the Hexagon”, continues the minister.
88 overseas cases
The Minister gives details of the cases in Overseas: 88 people are reached to date (March 18, 2020).
- 33 in Guadeloupe
- 19 in Martinique, including one death
- 14 in Reunion
- 11 in Guyana
- 3 in St Martin / St Barth
- 3 in Polynesia
- 3 in Mayotte
- 2 in New Caledonia
Territorial continuity and economy
"We will ensure territorial continuity, if there is a break in this continuity," said the minister, announcing that this issue was raised this Wednesday in the Council of Ministers. “Measures will be specified in the coming days”.
Regarding economic measures, the minister assured that the government will support businesses. She asks business leaders to ensure they put in place barrier gestures by putting as many employees as possible into telework. “To the major shock, we need massive responses”. “We are going to suspend the maturities of the loans granted by the BPI as well as the tax maturities”, she detailed.
State of health emergency
"The state of emergency (editor's note: sanitary) will it be decreed in the overseas territories? Yes, this is the decision that was taken during the Council of Ministers”Announced the minister. However, “by amendments, specificities will be introduced into the bill for Polynesia and New Caledonia which have particular powers”.
Postponement of municipal elections everywhere
Regarding the postponement of the second round of municipal elections in the Overseas Territories, the Minister confirmed that this will be the case, as in France. The second round will take place in June, if the virus is defeated at that time.
Air link of overseas territories
In a press release released just after Annick Girardin's intervention, several clarifications were made concerning the aviation sector. Here is the verbatim of this press release:
“Annick Girardin, Minister of Overseas Territories, and Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, Secretary of State for Transport, announce measures on border controls to slow down as much as possible the spread of the Covid-19 virus in the Overseas Territories. sea.
The national provisions concerning the prohibition of access to the national territory of nationals outside the European Union, unless derogations apply fully in the Overseas Territories.
With regard to links with France, home confinement for air and maritime passengers from France is the rule. Instructions have been passed to restrict access to air transport, in particular to overseas territories, only for family and professional travel which cannot be postponed. This will lead to a reduction in the frequency of air links.
In the Pacific, in close coordination with local governments, these measures are also applied in order to combat the spread due to the characteristics of these territories (remoteness, double insularity, capacity and distribution of health facilities) and their low level of contamination current.
The Government is working to facilitate the return of French tourists to France and of overseas tourists who have left for France for tourist, family or health reasons to their territory of origin. In order to reduce the risk of the virus spreading, the ministers asked all overseas residents of France, including students on the move, to stay at their usual place of residence. Instructions have been passed so that student accommodation in France remains open.
Despite trade reduced to the strict minimum, the territories cannot be cut off from France, while many countries close their borders to French nationals. Thus, in close liaison with the prefects and high commissioners of the overseas territories, the Government asked the airlines to remain mobilized for the organization of territorial continuity between the overseas territories and France. These provisions will make it possible to maintain the transit of freight, the possibility of medical evacuations and the routing of sanitary products (medicines, blood products, etc.), and certain trips for imperative family or professional reasons.
Finally, the air routes will be secure in order to reach the Pacific territories which are the most distant from France, in a very evolving context of the closing of the borders of many States, in particular the United States. Flights from Paris to French Polynesia now pass through Pointe-à-Pitre. The security of flights to New Caledonia, via Asia, is underway.
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