Posted Dec 9 2022 at 11:11Updated 9 Dec. 2022 at 06:34 PM
Somewhat undecided until then, the executive’s strategy in the face of the rise of the Covid is now clearly asserting itself. While Emmanuel Macron appeared masked on Thursday, the Minister of Health, François Braun, clearly sounded the alarm bell this Friday morning. “For the past fortnight, the incidence rate has increased to a high level. We are in an upsurge in contamination with the new BQ1.1 variant, ”recognized the minister on the set of RMC and BFMTV.
“There will be deaths. We continue to die every day in France from Covid-19, even though we have the vaccine. And those who die are the elderly and/or with risk factors: high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and those who are being treated for cancer or immunocompromised,” warned the Minister of Health. At the end of the day on Friday, he insisted by calling “solemnly for a jump in vaccination”, during a press conference.
“Vaccination is open to everyone”
To avoid a rise in deaths, the minister, who will hold a press conference this Friday at the end of the afternoon, therefore called on all French people to be vaccinated with a second booster dose. “Vaccination is open to everyone, but the target is the most fragile,” said François Braun, regretting the fact that it is not always easy. “It is unacceptable if pharmacies refuse the recall for everyone,” he lamented.
To facilitate vaccination, the Minister also mentioned the possibility of shortening, in certain cases, the time between two doses. “If we want to make it simple: the booster doses are every six months […] if you are more ‘at risk’ […], if you have had an illness, we will shorten this period to three months, ”he said. Stating that this decision must be taken in consultation with his doctor.
Wearing a mask: “you have to show, explain, convince”
Asked about the possible return of the wearing of the compulsory mask in transport in particular, he did not wish to go explicitly in this direction. “Since I arrived, my method has been to convince and trust the French,” replied the Minister of Health. “You have to show, explain, convince,” he insisted.
On Thursday, 57 people died of Covid-19 in hospital. On average smoothed over seven days, 70 people died in hospital because of Covid. A number up by more than 7% over one week.
The peak of the bronchiolitis epidemic has not yet been reached
“We are still in an ascending phase”, acknowledged the Minister of Health. And to specify that it is, in terms of volume, the epidemic of bronchiolitis “the strongest for ten years”.