A Prime Minister cloistered in Matignon. Jean Castex learned on the evening of Monday, November 23 that he was positive for Covid-19. According to those around him, he only has “mild symptoms”, namely a small cough. The head of government, also doubly vaccinated, has been isolated since Monday afternoon when he was only a contact case of his daughter before this positive test. He notably led, at the end of the afternoon, Monday the meeting around the elected officials of Guadeloupe by videoconference. Franceinfo explains how the executive should organize itself after this announcement.
An isolated prime minister
For ten days, Jean Castex will have to stay locked in his apartment in Matignon, where he lives with his family. The Prime Minister’s office, on the first floor of Matignon, will remain empty or almost: no entry when Jean Castex is there, except in an emergency but there with an FFP2 mask. Otherwise the rest of the time, the files will be left in his office, he will come and pick them up afterwards.
It is out of the question to show that time stands still in Matignon. It is also out of the question to flank the slightest criticism of the precautions taken when we could see a video of Jean Castex last week at the meeting of mayors, without a mask, without distance and distributing a number of handshakes. . An evening where, it is specified, the health pass was necessary.
A messed up agenda
His agenda is obviously rebuilt from A to Z or almost by his teams until very late Monday evening, with also in mind the possibility that Jean Castex may have to rest. For example Tuesday morning, the traditional breakfast for the majority on Tuesday was done over the phone, the same for the weekly interview with Emmanuel Macron and Jean Castex will be represented Tuesday afternoon in the National Assembly for questions to the government by the Minister of National Education Jean Michel Blanquer, number four in the government protocol order. The Prime Minister should also have gone to Corrèze next Saturday, it will be for another time.
Many ministers tested
Chain reaction after Jean Castex’s positive test, a large part of the government finds itself in contact. Since Monday evening, many have passed the swab test. First, some of Jean Castex’s advisers and then of course ministers. They are ten in all. It is first of all those who were with him on Monday traveling to Brussels. Gérald Darmanin tested negative on Monday night, as did Secretary of State for European Affairs Clément Beaune. The Keeper of the Seals Éric Dupond-Moretti was tested on Tuesday morning.
But Jean Castex was also in Indre-et-Loire and in Loir-et-Cher, Saturday, November 20, with Marc Fesneau, the Minister of Relations with Parliament, who tested negative. We are awaiting news from the Minister of Culture Roselyne Bachelot among others. Note all the same that these ministers are all vaccinated so if they test negative, they are not subjected to isolation. Health insurance still recalls that for seven days you have to be careful and limit contact. Moreover, ministers were masked Tuesday morning during their respective interviews. But again, there is no question of giving the impression of a government confined and stopped.
And then, the contact cases of Jean Castex go beyond French borders, since during his trip to Brussels on Monday the Prime Minister met his Belgian counterpart Alexander de Croo and four Belgian ministers who were placed in quarantine.