Covid-19: Decisive week to stop the fourth wave

Compulsory vaccination of caregivers, extension of health passes? Faced with a surge in Covid-19 contamination, President Macron will announce new measures on Monday to prevent a widespread fourth wave in hospitals.

The head of state, who will address the French at 8:00 pm, is expected to give details of the measures decided in the morning at the Elysee Palace during an extraordinary health protection council. He will “talk about the state of health and its development in the light of epidemic data in other countries and the importance of vaccination,” said people around him.

Compulsory vaccination of caregivers should be on the agenda, the subject of several consultations over several days. This is “a very probable and valid hypothesis,” said Clement Beaune, the Secretary of State for European Affairs, during the “Grand Rendez-Vous” Europe 1 / Scenes / Les Echos on Sunday.

On the other hand, there is no question of mandating vaccination of all French people over the age of 12: Health Minister Olivier Veran “is not in favour”, he explained on Radio J opposite the Academy. Michel Barnier, potential LR candidate for the presidential election.

The President’s Address comes less than 15 days after the third and final stage of dissolution. In question: the spread of the delta variant, more contagious, that quickly became contaminated. On Sunday, 4,256 infections were recorded, against less than 3,000 a week earlier.

“If we don’t take action they could rise to “6,000 in a week, 10,000 in 15 days and 20,000 in early August,” the health minister said.

– low gauge –

For epidemiologist Arnaud Fontanet, a member of the Scientific Council, the variable that “could change everything” is the “vaccination” that protects against 95% of severe forms of the delta variant.

The body, which has guided the government since the start of the pandemic, therefore recommends tightening the bolt to prevent a tsunami in the hospital, where it continues to decline.

In an opinion given on Friday, it was “obligated to vaccinate caregivers” and to expose “other categories, such as + caregivers,” individual service workers or all (non-health) professionals and risk to others. recommends getting in touch with.

“At the moment the hospital load is not increasing, but will be the same as last summer, that is, younger people will infect fewer young people, and, because not everyone has been vaccinated, your health will increase under pressure, an increase in severe cases and hospitalized “, guesses Olivier Veran.

The number of Kovid-19 patients in hospitals remained stable on Sunday.

To facilitate the vaccination of officials, Minister Amelie de Montchalin wants to promote the opening of “Barnums” in front of the prefecture, departmental and regional directorates, his team said, confirming information from the JDD.

In addition to intensifying vaccination, Emmanuel Macron could announce a tightening of restrictions through a possible extension of the health pass.

On this basis, the Scientific Council advocates reducing the gauge for events subject to this pass (currently set at 1,000 people), as well as “partial measures of restrictions” in the most affected geographic areas, “in July and August”. “.

– Improved deployment –

“We must undoubtedly return to a certain number of measures that were taken on 30 June to be expected to return to a calmer zone, the time when we can better deploy vaccination”, advanced epidemiologist Dominic Costagliola, Microphone from Europe 1.

According to AFP journalists present on the spot, the Euro (Italy-England) final could lead to rallies on Sunday evening and barrier gestures could be eased, with festivals following health measures.

In Cannes, if it is impossible to avoid health pass controls, the respect and physical distancing of wearing a mask, especially during screening, creates controversy.

“There is no ear cluster,” assures the general representative of the still film festival, Thierry Frémoux.

In Avignon, where temperatures exceed 30 degrees, wearing a mask outside (extraordinarily mandatory because of the crowds) is largely ignored. On the other hand, it is usually well respected in theatres, closed or open air.

On the other hand, in contemporary music festivals, handicap gestures are respected because unusual formats are chosen in the meetings that take place. At Viles Charroes in Brittany, open air capacity was limited to 5,000 people instead of 70,000.

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