Covid-19: The May 1 deconfinement map of France

Several departments have been reclassified following discussions with regional health agencies.

The new map includes 32 red departments (compared to 35 on the first map the day before), 28 orange (compared to 30) and 41 green (compared to 36).

The departments of Lot and Haute-Corse have been reclassified from red to green after errors in the data feedback, said the Director General of Health Jérôme Solomon. The Tarn changed from orange to green, as did the Dordogne.

The map is currently made using a combination of two indicators: the first classifies departments as green, orange or red according to the percentage of emergency visits made for suspected Covid-19 cases (whether confirmed or not) in the previous seven days. If the figure is above 10%, the department is classified as red. Nine departments were reclassified between Thursday April 30 and Friday May 1 (Aisne, Calvados, Cher, Dordogne, Lot, Nièvre, Oise, Tarn and Haute-Corse).

The second indicator classifies the regions (and therefore the departments that make up the regions) according to the proportion of usually open intensive care beds that are now occupied by Covid-19 patients (a rate that can exceed 100%, as additional beds have been created to cope with the epidemic). It shows departments’ ability to cope with new severe cases.

On Thursday 30 April, three departments classified as red on the combination map showed surprise results: Cher, Haute-Corse and Lot. The local health agencies concerned later explained that the classification came from "partially erroneous" or "overestimated" data. As a result, departments had their colours changed for the May 1 map.

A new map will be presented every evening in the run up to a decisive map shown on May 7. The map shown on May 7 will only feature red and green and will be used to determine the way in which deconfinement measures will be applied to individual departments as the end of lockdown begins on May 11.

A broader deconfinement will be applied in green departments and more constraints and stricter action in red departments.

In red departments "there will be the possibility of closing schools if necessary as well as closing a certain number of shops and outdoor places [such as parks] if necessary," Health Minister Olivier Véran told the public-service media FranceInfo on April 29.

Ministers are meeting today (May 2) to define rules relating to travel between departments and more on the constraints that may be imposed on red departments as deconfinement begins.

The total number of deaths due to Covid-19 since the beginning of the epidemic in France was given on May 1 as 24,594 (this is hospital and care home deaths combined but does not include deaths at home). It is an increase of 218 deaths from the previous 24 hours.