On the defensive in the midst of the controversy over the slowness of the vaccination campaign in France, the government is accelerating.
After several new features announced last week, especially for health professionals over 50, Olivier Véran unveiled new provisions on RTL this Tuesday morning.
The goal?
May the pace join that of our European neighbors, who have already taken a big step ahead.
Everyone over 75 can get vaccinated in January
For those who do not live in nursing homes, “500 to 600” vaccination centers in town will be open by the end of January, announced the Minister of Health.
This phase, intended for over 75s and then over 65s, was initially supposed to begin "at the end of February", then the government had advanced it to "before the beginning of February".
The announcement made this Tuesday morning is therefore a new boost.
In addition, firefighters and home helpers who take care of elderly or vulnerable people will be able to be vaccinated now, as is already the case for health professionals aged at least 50 years.
"These are professionals who are in contact with fragile people and who may be required to work with patients," explained the Minister of Health.
Registration to get vaccinated
"We are going to open in the coming days a possible registration for French people who want it by Internet, by phone no doubt, and why not by the TousAntiCovid application, so that French people who wish to be vaccinated can let it be known. register and can make appointments, ”said Olivier Véran.
We are amplifying the vaccination campaign, by authorizing vaccination against # COVID19:
➖ To all city and hospital health professionals> 50 years old
➖ Firefighters> 50 years old
➖ Home helpers> 50 years pic.twitter. com / KWOHCuFGGX
- Olivier Véran (@olivierveran) January 5, 2021
This could in particular make it possible to optimize the stocks of doses and avoid waiting girls (we are far from it), in the event that certain vaccination centers are particularly in demand.
Catch up for vaccination soon?
Olivier Véran, assures him: the “cruising speed” of vaccination in France will “join that of our neighbors in the coming days”.
Only 516 doses had been administered from December 27 to January 1, but "several thousand" injections took place on Monday, the Minister of Health had already indicated.
Vaccination # Covid19: the "cruising speed" will "join that of our neighbors in the coming days", promises the Minister of Health @olivierveran in #RTLMatin pic.twitter.com/VIO2irUAac
- RTL France (@RTLFrance) January 5, 2021
Without indicating a specific number this Tuesday morning (it should be communicated for the first time today), he assured that the pace would further accelerate.
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By comparison, in eight days, Germany, Italy and Spain are respectively 265,000, 129,000 and 83,000 doses of vaccines administered, according to official data compiled by the OurWorldInData site.
"Ten" cases of the British variant in France
It arouses the "great vigilance" of the authorities, government spokesman Gabriel Attal told Le Parisien on Sunday.
The British variant of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is at the origin of “ten” cases identified in France for the moment, said Olivier Véran.
But the actual number could be much larger since not all positive results are routinely subjected to sequencing, which can determine whether the infection was caused by this variant.
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This led British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to decide on a new confinement from Wednesday.
Such a scenario is excluded in France for the moment.
Asked about the non-reopening of restaurants on January 20, Olivier Véran was content to refer any announcements to the press conference he is to hold with Prime Minister Jean Castex on Thursday.