Olivier Véran, the Minister of Health, has stated: the peak of the fourth wave could be reached in a few days.
“In a few days, schools will reopen, and currently, there are many French people who were on vacation in the southern and southwestern regions, where the virus circulates the most, who will return to regions that have been less affected by the 4th wave. This is why we must be extremely vigilant,” said the Minister of Health.
The time for assessment has come. For nearly a month, the number of hospitalizations has been stable. Yesterday, Olivier Véran warned of a possible peak in infections in the coming days.
Currently, more than 2,000 COVID-19 patients are receiving intensive care in France. 235 patients were admitted to intensive care units compared to 103 on Sunday and 165 on Saturday.
“A vaccination rate among the highest in the world, an effective health pass adopted by the French, and the ability to test massively in the heart of the summer have allowed us to avoid a new lockdown today despite a strong wave driven by the delta variant.” — Olivier Véran (@olivierveran) August 23, 2021
Vaccination should slow down the new wave
At a time when Polynesia is tightening its lockdown and the Antilles lack resources, Olivier wants to reassure and explains that the measures of recent months allow “us to look ahead with less worry than a month ago before the French went on vacation.”
In France, 61.8% of the population, or 41,637,794 people, are fully vaccinated. Despite Emmanuel Macron’s videos on Instagram, a portion of the population remains skeptical.
As for the questions surrounding a third dose, the verdict from the French National Authority for Health (HAS) has been announced: the third injection of the vaccine is currently only recommended for those over 65 and vulnerable individuals.
