"We must still hold on": the Defense Council under pressure from the situation in Ile-de-France

The number of Covid-19 contaminations still as high in Ile-de-France, as the very high level of tension in the Ile-de-France resuscitations, will they force the executive to toughen the measures, or even to consider a specific confinement of the capital region?

"This is not topical", swept this Tuesday, March 9 in the morning the Director General of Health Jérôme Salomon.

Nevertheless, the subject will necessarily be at the top of the pile of the new Health Defense Council scheduled for this Wednesday morning at the Elysee Palace.

Without any major announcement, a priori, concerning the departments under surveillance for a week.

But perhaps local adjustments, “on a case-by-case basis”, we insist, while keeping the idea of ​​acting with a territorialized approach.

This should be particularly the case of Nice (Alpes-Maritimes), where the executive was to receive the figures on Tuesday evening on the impact of the two weekends already confined.

"We still have to take four to six weeks," we told the Ministry of Health, taking up the horizon set by Emmanuel Macron himself, a few days ago.

"By then, nine to ten million French people will have been vaccinated, we will be able to start breathing," we continue, dismissing, for the moment, the idea of ​​a reduction in curfew measures.

“That people understand that we are really at the stage where everything can tip over to one side or the other.

But the current observation is that despite the British variant which is becoming the majority in some regions, the health system does not panic.

So we have to hang on ”, concedes a ministerial adviser, confirming that the issue of vaccination remains at the center of all the issues of the moment.

The idea of ​​the health pass to "give a horizon"

Monday evening, a meeting on the subject took place around Emmanuel Macron, with logistics and purchasing issues as an agenda.

The Elysee knows that the President of the Republic is expected on his promise that all adults who wish can be vaccinated before the end of the summer.

“This promise has the merit of putting everyone under tension,” notes those around him.

In view of the latest declining statistics in the number of tests, the government also intends to raise public awareness again by relaunching massive screening campaigns.

Finally, to "give a horizon", the government is still working on the issue of the health pass, which would give access to certain places currently closed.

"We are convinced that mentalities will change on this subject," swears a member of the majority.

Even if several questions remain unanswered, such as support (phone app or paper), the information indicated (will a negative PCR test be enough?), Or the question of tracing.

From there to consider for the future a possible reopening of certain establishments?

Not impossible.

The Elysée is also awaiting proposals in terms of reducing protocols by professionals in the affected sectors, in particular those in the cultural world, sports halls and of course restaurant owners.

A point should take place with them by next weekend.