PARIS (AP) – Champagne, lobster and no masks: this is what a French television documentary says that appears on the menu of one of the many high-end “clandestine restaurants” that serve the Parisian elite, in violation of the pandemic restrictions nationwide.
Which is even more shocking for the newly confined French public – and exhausted medical staff – is that an organizer claimed that government ministers were involved.
French authorities are investigating the allegations and members of the government struggled to insist they were behaving properly.
Anti-capitalist activists and critics of President Emmanuel Macron are unconvinced and plan a protest on Tuesday – announced on social media under the banner “Let’s Eat the Rich” – in one of the alleged secret places,
The Paris prosecutor’s office said on Monday that an investigation was opened on Sunday into possible charges of danger and undeclared work and to identify the organizers and participants of the alleged rallies.
A documentary that aired on the French network M6 over the weekend included a man who said he had eaten at two or three clandestine restaurants “with a certain number of ministers.”
Prosecutors said Monday the investigation is continuing, although it was reported that the man featured in the documentary had withdrawn his lawsuit.
Members of the government denied that their colleagues were aware of any wrongdoing. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin asked police to examine the claims.
M6 released hidden camera footage saying it came from two different private sites in recent weeks, as a new rise in viruses swept across France. and restrictions tightened.
In one place, the waiters in white gloves presented fixed-priced menus ranging from 160 to 490 euros (between $ 190 and $ 575) per person whose offerings included champagne, truffles with foie gras and lobster with ginger sauce. One host said guests do not wear masks, despite France’s requirements, because “it’s a private club. We want people to feel at home.”
In another venue, reportedly offering a 220-euro meal, visitors in elegant dresses shared kisses on their cheeks and walked down a red carpet.
French restaurants have been closed since October to curb the spread of coronavirus and the country has just entered a new partial closure in response to intensive care units being refilled with COVID-19 patients..
“I am just sick of it. It doesn’t make sense to go to work, ”said Michele Feret, a nurse who provides home care to patients with viruses in the city of Creil, north of Paris. He noted that a clandestine restaurant was recently closed in a working-class neighborhood of Creil.
“Let them go to restaurants,” he told The Associated Press, but warned that no one, including senior officials, “has special protection” against the virus.
Government spokesman Gabriel Attal said ministers “have a duty to be totally blameless and exemplary”. Speaking to LCI television on Sunday night, Attal said authorities had been investigating reports of clandestine parties and restaurants for months, and that 200 suspects had been identified and faced “severe punishment”.
When the AP asked him last month how many government officials had been fined for violating virus restrictions, Prime Minister Jean Castex refused to give a breakdown, instead of indicating the number of fines imposed on the French public. Generally.
For people who are trapped, the danger charge carries a possible prison sentence and fines of 15,000 euros ($ 17,600), while participants face fines of 135 euros ($ 160) for violating the curfew and 135 euros more for not wearing masks.
The restaurant’s revelations came when France’s health minister warned Monday that the number of COVID-19 patients in the country’s intensive care units could reach the level of the first crisis a year ago.
France has reported more virus infections than any other European country, and among the 96,650 highest deaths in the world.
___
Follow AP pandemic coverage at:
https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine
https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak