Four beaches close due to lifeguards testing positive for Covid-19



Holidaymakers in the area will have to refer to other swimming spots in the coming days. Four beaches in Saint-Georges-d’Oléron, a town on the island of Oléron, are closed to bathers until Tuesday after the detection of positive cases for Covid-19 among rescuers, the community announced on Friday. These closures concern four supervised bathing areas in Plaisance, Boyardville, Chaucre and Bonnes, located in the town of Saint-Georges-d’Oléron, a major resort for seaside tourism.

“We were alerted by the network of lifeguards from the departmental fire and rescue service (Sdis). Between the positive cases and the contact cases, this concerns about ten people ”, which forced the authorities to“ restructure the surveillance ”, explained Michel Parent, president of the community of communes of the island of Oléron. The community of municipalities invited “families and beachgoers (…) to temporarily change their swimming location”. According to its president, the decision was taken “to no longer ensure security on some sites to ensure it on others fully”, with full staff.

“It’s really not the time to close beaches”

“Reinforcement staff” is currently being redeployed to allow rapid reopening of these long beaches bordered by dunes, which face Fort Boyard and the Île d’Aix, assures the community of municipalities. “There are a lot of people on the island, who enjoy swimming. The good weather is coming, it is really not the time to close the beaches ”lamented the elected community member.

In its weekly update, the ARS specifies that “although the incidence rate remains below the alert threshold, all epidemiological indicators are on the rise” in all the departments of New Aquitaine. In Charente-Maritime, this incidence rate was 26 cases per 100,000 inhabitants over the previous week, an increase of 15 points.

“Taking into account the health situation in the department”, the prefect of Charente-Maritime extended this Friday the obligation to wear a mask for people over 11 years old until August 31, particularly in the markets, in the queues, public transport, cultural or sporting events.



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