“Not far from 300,000 contaminations identified in 24 hours”: a hitherto unprecedented number of Covid-19 cases was announced by the Minister of Health during questions to the government in the National Assembly.
Even if Olivier Véran did not give the precise figure, it will undoubtedly be a record of daily contaminations.
On December 31, 232,200 cases had been counted by Public Health France, a "record" now obsolete.
The Omicron “tidal wave” is growing.
The increase in recorded cases is partly explained by an unprecedented number of tests: eight million last week, according to the minister, who mentions both PCR tests and “antigenic” tests, less precise but faster.
However, the epidemic outbreak is very real as evidenced by the jump in the “positivity rate”, that is, the proportion of cases among the only people tested.
It now exceeds 15%, close to its autumn 2020 records.
The effective vaccine against severe forms
If the number of contaminations makes you "dizzy", as Olivier Véran reiterated, he insisted on the protection conferred by vaccination, which remains largely effective against serious forms of Covid-19 if it is not against it. infection with Omicron.
Vaccines "do not prevent contamination, but on the other hand prevent the development of the virus once it has contaminated you (...) and therefore serious forms", he insisted.
“For a patient vaccinated with a booster in intensive care, there are 20 unvaccinated patients in our intensive care units.
“, Continued the minister, defending the health pass established by the government, which must be succeeded by a vaccination pass.
The debates will resume Tuesday evening, after the suspension of the debates the day before.
