Île-de-France is France’s most hit region. This pushed regional and local public authorities to set up a large set of measures to cope with the COVID crisis. The Ile-de-France Region has quickly reacted and taken measures in a series of areas (health equipment, business support, transports, research, education, etc)  aimed at helping health organisations and the medical sector in general, citizens and regional businesses face the crisis. 

In the public health sector, the Île-de-France Region is to co-finance, thanks to EU structural funds, the purchase of about 30 million masks for the region’s healthcare staff. Other measures are being taken such as the setting up of a €10 million equipment fund for caregivers, or co-financing the development of a mobile app, Covidum, aimed at allowing general practitioners and public hospitals to remotely monitor patients who are known or suspected Covid-19 carriers and avoiding to overburden hospitals and general practitioners so that they can concentrate on the fight against Covid-19. The Region has also taken many measures in the field of public transports to make sure that these are safe and adapted as possible to the new needs of people and those who are working, in particular medical staff. In order to make their daily commute to work easier, the Region, together with the regional transport organising authority, “Ile-de-France Mobilités”, quickly set up 22 new temporary bus lines for regional public hospitals staff only and will provide them electric bikes for free until the end of the crisis. 

The Île-de-France Region, alone or in partnership with the French national government and BPI France, the national public investment bank, has also taken a series of measures to support regional companies. Among these,  the facilitation of massive access to bank loans by setting up a €1 billion solidarity fund, a guarantee fund ( €700 million in new loans with 80% guarantees), and by providing SMEs with specific grants as well. The Region has also launched a new scheme, called PM’Up COVID-19, dedicated to help companies adapt their production lines so that they can manufacture masks, hydro-alcoholic gel or respirators that are essential in the fight against Covid-19. Every measure aims at keeping a steady supply of funds and securing employment. 

As far as research is concerned, the Region will support the Discovery Program mobilising €1 million, doubling the budget of this national initiative that will finance a large program of clinical trials for potential treatments involving 3000 patients. Also the regional research network known as DIM ELICIT, funded by the Region, recently launched a call for proposals to support innovative technologies or methods related to the analysis, diagnosis and/or treatment to fight against SARS-CoV2.

These are only a few examples of the long list of initiatives implemented by the Ile-de-France Region to help fight COVID-19. More detailed information on the Region’s response to the crisis here.