cross-border workers are blaming

The measure will solely apply this Monday, however its announcement stunned many this Thursday: France would require PCR assessments detrimental to Covid 19 of lower than 72 hours, for anybody getting into the Moselle territory, on the German border. , except for cross-border workers who can proceed to maneuver freely. But should you go for a stroll, or to buy groceries within the Saarland, you’ll have to present a white paw …

Daily upset

In Petite-Roselle, proper on the border with Germany and its twin Gross Rosseln, Mosellans misunderstand this restriction : “useless, anything, the most beautiful stupidity that can exist“.

Here, many cross-border commuters come to do their buying, particularly on the DM signal, which is lower than 100 meters from the signal indicating the separation between France and Germany. Semia, for instance, will change her habits: “Coming from Forbach to here, then leaving, without a PCR test it won’t work … Better to stay in Forbach“. Sophie won’t be examined each three days both to ensure she has a sound cross:”It’s unpleasant, PCR tests. It’s out of the question to do it all the time! But the border, we cross it every day. Even to go to Freyming-Merlebach, it is longer otherwise.”

Other border workers take the measure with philosophy, like Kenza: “This is normal, with the crisis we are going through. I can do my shopping in Germany, but I prefer to do it in France, it’s safer“. Liliane too, sees no downside:”I would like us to end this pandemic. If there are steps to take, they must be taken“.

Analytical laboratories will face

In the evaluation laboratories of Moselle-Est, anti-Covid assessments comply with each other: between 150 and 200 per day solely on the GOS Laboratories of Forbach, the place Dr Jocelyn Thonnon works, able to ramp up PCR testing : “We have been ready for an upturn in activity for some time. We are in saturation, but we still have a little space, we have adapted. We have increased our sampling capacities.“

We will face it. This is our mission

This measure was obligatory in view of the epidemic state of affairs of the Moselle, notably affected by the South African variant of Covid-19. The incidence fee of the division exceeds 300 new instances per 100,000 inhabitants.

The prefect awaiting clarification

The measure comes into power on Monday, March 1, however the prefect of Moselle, Laurent Touvet, remains to be awaiting the decree which specifies all the small print. If there’s a strengthening of controls, “it will not be on the border but set back, with the aim of disrupting cross-border life as little as possible“In his speech this Thursday night, Prime Minister Jean Castex positioned the Moselle, like 19 different departments, below elevated surveillance. Consultations will happen within the coming days with native elected officers to see if the present measures are adequate, or whether it is obligatory, for instance, to re-define the weekend, as in Nice or Dunkirk.

On behalf of the Sarre-Moselle Eurodistrict, the mayor of Morsbach Gilbert Schuh and that of Saarbrücken Uwe Conradt name for the borders to stay open, and reject systematic checks on the border with presentation of detrimental assessments.