Editor’s note: Many people say that 2020 is a magical year. For French who are known for their “romantic”, there is probably nothing more magical than the second national “closed city”.
The second European anti-pandemic story is a story with a bit of “France romance” in the magical reality. Lets check it out.
Paris The pointer is set back at 6 pm on October 29. In the western French city of Nantes, the flower wholesaler Martino is worried. There are only a few hours left before France implements the second national “cities lockdown”.
All “non-essential” counters in the supermarket, including flowers, will be closed. Where should the tens of thousands of flowers in his inventory go? A thought became clearer and clearer in his mind.
The “second wave” of Pandemic hit. According to the French Health Agency, the cumulative number of confirmed cases of Coronavirus in France has ranked fourth in the world, and the French medical system is still suffering from a greater amount than when the city was “closed” this spring. People who are susceptible to pressure, the elderly, etc. are facing a higher risk of infection.
On October 29, the day before France was forced to initiate the second “cities lockdown”, the Gatburs Nursing Home in Deuxèvre in western France issued a call for help through the French media: 34 of the 81 elderly in the nursing home were infected with Coronavirus, 18 A staff member was also recruited. “The entire nursing home staff is reduced by one-third.” Severina Gori, the head of the nursing home, is very anxious.
Time passed by, and France walked into the dark night. After midnight, the second “closure of the city” was officially launched.
In the early morning of October 30, three firefighters knocked on the gate of the Gatburs nursing home. It turned out that after seeing the media reports, they came from different cities as volunteers to assist in rescue and disinfection work.
“Since the morning, I have received several calls from people asking to be volunteers in nursing homes.” Gori let out a long sigh of relief. Those who called were ambulance drivers, teachers, and students who had practiced in nursing homes.
More than one family has ushered in reinforcements in a difficult situation like the Gatburs nursing home.
In the city of Lyon, Beatrice, the director of the Desince Nursing Home, received a call, “A gentleman came to the nursing home to sign up as a volunteer. He was not qualified as a nurse, so he took on the task of disinfecting the equipment on the weekend.”
In Elbeuf, in the province of Seine-Maritime, the medical staff in the emergency room received 24 pizzas, and the well-wishers did not leave their names. “These pizzas make us feel relieved that we have not been forgotten!” Nurse Caroline said excitedly.
In Orsay, Yvelines, chef Samuel was not idle during the Halloween holiday. “The closure of the city in u2018 made u2019 require restaurants to be closed, and I can only stay at home. I asked my doctor friends what they need most, and they said they were too busy to eat.” So Samuel insisted on making free lunches for local medical staff. It also spontaneously established a distribution chain with other suppliers.
Under the “City Closure Order”, “non-essential” commercial institutions such as bookstores and daily necessities were forced to close their doors. In the city of Aix-les-Bains in southeastern France, in the window of an open pastry shop, books and shoes are placed among the pastries. The shop owner, Mary Aurore, said: “We put on the shelves the products of nearby shops that cannot be opened. When the city was closed in spring u2018, we were caught off guard and did not play a role. This time, we must unite.”
Just as the French “Le Figaro” commented, on the surface, the second “closed city” in France is different from the first one. Most industries remain in normal operation. People are busy with daily work, and there is no more. Time to participate in volunteer services, even the warmth of people standing at the window applauding the medical staff when the city was “closed” this spring seems to have disappeared, but in fact a unity force is quietly gathering.
On the first day of the second “closed city” on October 30, many nursing homes in Nantes received a large number of flowers. The halls, corridors, and gardens are all at once filled with roses and carnations u2026u2026
“Instead of watching the flowers withering or being thrown away in the warehouse, it is better to bring beauty to the elderly in the nursing home.” This is Martino’s decision.
The night before, he called the surrounding nursing homes one by one, asking them if they would accept the gift of these flowers, and received a warm response from everyone.
French President Macron said at the Paris Peace Forum that ended not long ago that Coronavirus is a major disaster facing mankind. The intensification of the “second wave” of the Pandemic may even make some French people feel fearful of not knowing when the Pandemic will end. He called on all walks of life in France to unite again, through the night and usher in the light.
