So the French new measures... The rumors of a 45 days lockdown with curfew were so ubiquitous from numerous "good sources" that I think it was either on the table or a rumor to mollify minds and have the pill go down easier.
- "We're at war" *3 God he loves the sounds of his farts a bit.
- Tons of laurels for health workers after 20 years of reforms to cut down costs breh.
- 15 days, renewable.
- You will need a self fulfilled certificate for going to work, shopping, get care, exercice (alone). Failure to have one will get you a fine. This starts tomorrow, I don't have a printer, I'll need to get to work first before making it.
- Work from home to be a priority but basically he doesn't want to shut down all non essential sectors and forcing people out of work if WFH can't be arranged.
- Taxis and hotels may be requisitioned (and paid for) by the state... For health workers I think, I'm not certain I heard that right.
- More masks to be delivered to pharmacies soon but I don't know how much the general public will have access to it.
- Army to help shift people needing hospital care to less saturated hospitals (The East and Paris region are at capacity).
- 300 billions on the table to guarantee assets and the economy, a very generous set of packages for businesses to help them survive this. (Help fund, exonerated from payroll taxes, postponing rents...).
- Second round of mayoral election postponed but not cancelled. This will require some legal magic to happen if I understand correctly but no one is objecting. Would be too much of a kick in the nuts to outright cancel it and having to say you got millions of people out to ballots and put them at risk for nothing.
- Pension reform and annual renegociation of unemployment benefits on stand by as long as this doesn't get better. The privatization of the Paris Airport business was already on hold because you couldn't sell it at a good price in the current situation.
I think that's the gist of it. So I'm working tomorrow but I expect it to ramp up again in a few days, to be honest. Macron called us to be "responsible" and... Let's say our legendary spirit of gallantry and contradiction makes me a bit skeptical. He tried to emphasize that this is War™ and I think people are starting to get the message. But honestly I was kinda ready for a 45 days lockdown, no work, to nip this in the bud for real. Third way, both sides, centrist Macron is trying to keep the economy together & saving lives at the same time.
I'll probably chance it for work this week (but I need to buy a thermometer tomorrow) but keep the option to self isolate if I show any symptoms or just if I feel like it. I'm not working something essential and basically all the clients and outlets are grinding to a halt anyway. I need to help my mom for her groceries and I don't want to risk infecting her.
