The President of the Government of New Caledonia, Thierry Santa, urged Monday April 26 the population to be vaccinated, estimating that the archipelago, free of Covid-19 since the beginning of April, must "
prepare
" to live with the virus .
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“
We are fortunate to have a head start on the epidemic. Our zero Covid status is rare in the world and allows us to be able to vaccinate without the virus circulating
, ”he said at a press conference. The archipelago of 270,000 inhabitants detected in mid-March nine first cases of Covid-19 outside the fortnight then regained its status as a territory free of the virus on April 9, after several weeks of confinement and restrictions. “
New Caledonia will not be able to live outside the world ad vitam aeternam. We must be prepared so that one day we live with the virus,
”however warned Thierry Santa, faced with the lack of enthusiasm for the vaccine. "
The best way to act right now is to get vaccinated
",he hammered.
Health authorities have observed that "
people are
losing
interest in the vaccine
" since New Caledonia "
has become Covid-free again
". The inability to travel because of the border closures, as well as the influence of the anti-vaccine movements, which brought together 200 people on Saturday morning in the streets of Noumea, also weigh heavily. "
For the next 4 weeks, we have 20,000 appointments but we would need 40,000,
" said an executive official.
The island has so far received 71,370 doses of Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine and nearly 10,000 are arriving each week. Since the campaign began on January 20, 35,971 people have received at least one dose, or 15.6% of the population aged over 16. Vaccination is currently available to people over 65, people with co-morbidities and many professional categories. To "
show the example
", the leaders of the consular chambers and several unions were vaccinated Monday in a center of occupational medicine, under the watchful eye of the cameras.