Screenings still massive, but better targeted.
France carries out a million tests per week, but in front of the laboratories, the queues are endless, and the deadlines for rendering results are stretching.
The government has therefore decided to restore order.
At the end of the defense council, which was held this Friday at the Elysee Palace, Jean Castex announced the implementation of a new priority screening strategy.
Recognizing “too long waiting times, especially in certain cities”, the Prime Minister established three priority categories of people: those who have symptoms, those who have had close contact with a positive case, as well as the nursing staff.
For these, "we are going to strengthen the dedicated screening circuits, with certain time slots", he said.
The objective: to streamline the screening chain, which is seizing up all over the country.
In addition, 2,000 additional people will be recruited within the Health Insurance and regional health authorities to ensure the tracing of contact cases.
The eagerly awaited rapid tests
While there is little room for maneuver on PCR tests, the arrival of rapid tests is also eagerly awaited, even if Jean Castex did not mention it.
An antigen test, with a result in 30 minutes, must be evaluated "in real conditions" as of this week by the Assistance publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), which hopes to be able to "deploy it on a large scale from mid-September ”.
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Particularly "adapted to massive screening operations", rapid tests make it possible to sort and isolate positive cases, which can then be confirmed by PCR.
What may lighten the pressure on laboratories, but also on public finances.
Some 9 million samples have already been taken since the start of the epidemic, according to the Directorate General of Health.
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