The number is inevitably a hit, when thinking about the family reunion that Christmas must be. Due to the increase in the number of Covid cases, the executive anticipates a number of intensive care patients which “should exceed 3,000 very quickly and reach 4,000 around the holidays”, government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on Wednesday. A level that puts pressure on a public hospital already on the verge of collapse, and which has not yet seen the peak of the epidemic.
“The white plans put in place in many regions will make it possible to organize themselves and avoid congestion in the hospital at the end of the year”, he assured, warning however that there could be ” new decisions by the end of the week ”, mentioning an acceleration of the vaccination campaign and the strengthening of border controls.
Twenty million booster doses by Christmas
“Yesterday (Tuesday) again, there were nearly 1,700 people admitted to hospital and nearly 400 in intensive care, the pressure will continue to increase during the coming weeks”, warned Gabriel Attal on leaving the Council ministers. To counter the spread of the virus, the government recalled that it was banking on the vaccine booster campaign and called on the French to “adopt the necessary recommendations for family celebrations”.
“820,000 booster injections took place yesterday and the goal of 20 million French people vaccinated with a booster dose by Christmas will be met,” assured Gabriel Attal. Regarding the vaccination of 5-11 year olds, “a first stage starts today for nearly 400,000 children”, he stressed while the vaccination was opened on Wednesday to children at risk of developing serious forms of Covid- 19. For all the other children in this age group, “we put ourselves in a position to start the vaccination campaign on December 20,” said Gabriel Attal.
But “obviously”, the launch date of the campaign “will depend on the moment when the High Authority of Health and the National Consultative Ethics Committee give their opinion”, he qualified. On Monday, a government source indicated that the CCNE’s opinion could intervene on Thursday.