In 1720, a ship was quarantined at the port in Marseille because a strange infection was killing people on the ship. Deputy Mayor of Marseille lifted the quarantine to “help economy”.
The govt of Marseille felt they could not afford to lose all the valuable goods on the ship as it will destroy the economy. As they lifted the quarantine and moved the goods into the city of Marseille, they moved in the infection.
By the end of the Great Plague of Marseille, the city of Marseille had 50,000 dead people (out of a total 90,000 population back then).
A Turkish man on the ship got infected first and died, then several sailors died. As the ship got to Marseille, Doctors quarantined it.
Some Powerful Businessmen, with friends in Government
Some powerful businessmen led by the deputy mayor of Marseille (who was also the owner of the ship) convinced his friends in government to release the quarantine.
Dead bodies littered the streets of Marseille. Till date, the people of Marseille remember this story. In moving the goods, they unknowingly moved infected rats which then infected people. At a point, the govt of France built a wall to stop Marseille from infecting the rest of the country.
10,000 people from Marseille already ran into neighbouring cities. 50,000 people died outside of Marseille. Those were horrible years in Marseille and in France.
The Great Plague of Marseille is a huge warning to governments never to prioritise the “economy” ahead of human lives and public health.
