While the demonstrations against the health pass are linked for the fourth consecutive Saturday, the Minister of Health announces this Sunday of relaxations in its application. From now on, “a negative screening will be valid 72 hours and no longer 48 hours for the unvaccinated”, explains in particular Olivier Véran in an interview with Parisian.
Another relaxation: “it will be possible to perform self-tests supervised by a healthcare professional, in addition to antigen and PCR tests. They too will be valid for 72 hours ”. The pass will not be requested for a visit to a general practitioner, also recalls the minister. On the other hand, “in hospitals, it will be, but in no case should it be a barrier to accessing useful and urgent care”.
Olivier Véran also says he is confident about the goal of 50 million first-time vaccines by the end of August. “We currently perform between 300,000 and 400,000 first-time injections per day, and we are already at more than 44 million. We expect a low in the heart of August but the target of 50 million first-time injections made at the end of the month, or more than 85% of the 58 million French people who can be vaccinated, should be reached ”.
Sanitary Defense Council Wednesday
He believes that the pass and the progress of vaccination should avoid other curfews and confinements as in the overseas departments where the situation has become “more than worrying”, due to low vaccination coverage. “We will probably have to requisition caregivers in metropolitan France to save lives. We are there, ”he said. In Metropolitan France, “we will have to deprogram care and call staff on leave, urgently reopen intensive care beds” in the southern departments most affected. Transfers of patients to other regions are also in preparation.
Finally, a Health Defense Council will be held on Wednesday by videoconference. In particular, it will discuss the injection of a third dose of vaccine to the most vulnerable people.