Boosted by the extension of the health pass, the number of Covid-19 screening tests remained at a record level close to 6 million last week, according to figures released Thursday, August 26 by the Ministry of Health.
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The number of tests stabilizes at the highest
", with just under 5.7 million PCR and antigen tests validated between August 16 and 22, said the statistical service of the ministry (Drees) in a press release.
This is almost as much as the previous week, marked by the extension of the health pass to cafes, restaurants and trains, which had exploded the demand to more than 5.7 million tests, against 4.2 million at the beginning of August.
2 out of 3 tests are antigenic
A jump made possible by the abundant supply of antigenic tests, which for two weeks have represented two-thirds of the volume, while PCRs remain limited by the analytical capacities of medical biology laboratories.
The screening system should remain heavily used at the start of the school year because around 10 million adults have not yet been fully vaccinated and must therefore be tested to obtain a health pass.
This pass will even be compulsory from Monday, August 30 for employees in places where it is required, such as bars, cinemas and certain shopping centers, under penalty of suspension of the employment contract.
At the end of September, adolescents aged 12 to 17 will in turn have to have a pass to access these places.
For the youngest, the return to primary school will be accompanied by a massive campaign: the government has set a target of 600,000 weekly saliva tests.
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What to maintain the pressure until mid-October, deadline set by the executive for the end of the free tests.
Currently covered 100% by Social Security without advance costs (around 44 euros for a PCR, 25 euros for an antigen), these will become chargeable, unless they are justified by a medical prescription.
A measure intended to reduce the bill for screening, which cost 2.2 billion euros in 2020 and for which 4.9 billion are planned this year.
