Good news, the epidemic is generally continuing to decline in France.
If all indicators are green, "we have not yet crushed the virus", insisted this Wednesday with caution the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran at the microphone of Franceinfo.
"No new wave" expected
The Minister took stock of the health situation, stressing "for 2-3 days, a stagnation, even a small increase in the number of contaminations".
“Nothing catastrophic: we expected it because the activity has resumed in full, and it is colder.
But we still have to remain vigilant, ”he maintained.
🗣️ Covid-19: "We have not yet crushed the virus and it would be wrong to consider that the epidemic is totally behind us", estimates the Minister of Health Olivier Véran.
"4,000 patients a day, we know how to manage."
Follow the live 👇https: //t.co/cEwi3c61QM pic.twitter.com/qgPIdKmOD6
- franceinfo (@franceinfo) October 13, 2021
The cooling of temperatures gives rise to fears of a rebound in contamination.
However, "we have no reason to believe" that a new wave comparable to the previous ones is occurring in France, he said.
And for good reason, no “new [dangerous] variant has been identified on the planet”.
A call to extend the health pass
However, wanting to maintain a certain vigilance, Olivier Véran returned to the bill extending the health pass until July 31, 2022, presented this Wednesday in the Council of Ministers.
If adopted, the text would allow
"Leave the possibility of triggering all or part of the braking measures until the summer", in the event of a deterioration of the situation, defended the minister.
1.6 million booster doses, "that's too little"
Regarding the booster dose, only the most vulnerable, caregivers and those over 65 remain concerned for the time being.
A decision on which the minister is flexible: “When you are younger, your immune system is more mature and you keep a good level of protection [against Covid] beyond six months.
But if the data were to show that it was to weaken after 10, 12, 15 months, the general population would be told to get vaccinated ”.
In passing, the Minister of Health called on residents eligible to receive their booster dose to come forward quickly.
Because 1.6 million injections since September 1, "it is too little", he judges.
More clusters in hospitals
Another point underlined, that of the compulsory vaccination of caregivers.
The measure put in place since mid-September has forced a "minority" of unvaccinated professionals to be suspended, "about 15,000 of them or 0.6%", recalled the minister.
Finally, “0.1% of caregivers resigned” following this obligation.
"There are no longer multiple clusters in hospitals, that's the main thing," he said.
