The Ministry of Health, which relies heavily on the massification of tests, but at the same time faces delays in their implementation, has made a commitment.
At the microphone of BFMTV this Saturday, Olivier Véran said that access to Covid-19 diagnostics would improve within "two to three weeks".
To date, the deadlines for samples and results have increased significantly in laboratories.
"There is a delay in access to laboratories to be tested, queues in Paris or elsewhere and currently it takes an average of 3.5 days to be tested", admitted the Minister of Health, during from an interview with Ruth Elkrief.
"That the French be reassured, within two, three weeks at the latest, access to the tests will be facilitated", he promised, the current delays being attributable, according to him, to the many people who are being tested on their return from vacation.
Reduce the period of isolation?
The minister, himself tested negative on Friday, also said that 80% of people who are tested had a result within 36 hours, and recalled that priority had been given to carriers of symptoms and contact cases.
"There are thousands of laboratories that are active, tens of thousands of people who work there and who are working hard week after week," he also explained, saying he could not "go beyond this. that (he) asks them in terms of speed ”.
More than a million tests are now carried out per week, or nearly 9 million carried out in all since the start of the epidemic, according to data from the Ministry of Health.
Olivier Véran, who recalls that "the epidemic has never really stopped but we have succeeded in very strongly slowing the spread of the virus", also asked "the scientific authorities to give an opinion to know if we can not reduce ”the isolation period of 14 days, recommended for contact cases, considering that“ this famous fortnight […] is undoubtedly too long ”.
Towards "an increase in the number of serious cases"
Regarding the development of a vaccine against the coronavirus, the deadline for which is still rather vague, the minister replied: "The day when we will offer the French to be vaccinated against the Covid, it is that we will be sure ".
He also said he hoped for "good news by the end of the year, at the latest in the spring", regarding the marketing of a vaccine.
If an influx of patients were to head to hospitals in the fall, to the detriment of an epidemic resurgence, Olivier Véran, who indeed anticipates “in the next fortnight, […] an increase in the number of severe cases of hospitalization ”, however, is reassuring.
“We are ready to welcome 29,000 patients.
Our hospitals are ready, we have the capacity for tests ", proclaims the minister, who also says that he cannot" consider a general reconfinement ".