In a department heavily affected by Covid-19, the Alpes-Maritimes, under the directive of Prefect Bernard Gonzalez, are attempting to expedite the vaccination process to control an alarming situation.
You haven’t missed them, and neither have we. Despite the new year, the coronavirus pandemic is still as present in the Alpes-Maritimes department. With an estimated number of positive cases at 300 per day, it’s time to sound the alarm.
“We are determined to amplify, accelerate and simplify. We need to move fast; expectations are high,” says Bernard Gonzalez, Prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes, aware that quick action is necessary. While the vaccination campaign continues in Nice, the President of the Alpes-Maritimes department, Charles-Ange Ginรฉsy, hopes that “the State will provide us with the means to vaccinate faster.”
After receiving 5,000 doses, the department recorded new arrivals this morning, totaling 3,000. As vaccination resumes after the long New Year weekend, Romain Alexandre, departmental delegate of ARS PACA (Regional Health Agency), is working on creating six additional vaccination centers. This offers hope for the city, as the centers will likely be set up by the end of the week in Antibes, Cannes, Menton, and Grasse, with the possibility of getting vaccinated from 8 AM. The Prefect wants to set an example: “I am ready to be vaccinated.” During a conference at the Prefecture, Bernard Gonzalez is clear: “Vaccination remains the only way to combat Covid-19.”
Priority to EHPADs
After Mauricette, 78 years old, the first person vaccinated in France on December 27 in Sevran, vaccinations are underway in the EHPADs of the Alpes-Maritimes. The main objective is clear: to administer vaccines to elderly dependent individuals. Each EHPAD in the department is invited to receive a certain number of vaccines.
The facility lists consenting individuals as well as healthcare professionals over the age of 50. Starting January 11, 1,200 residents will receive their vaccinations. The progress is encouraging. Today, there are 7,800 doses with 3,900 viable for vaccination. A second vaccine, named “Moderna,” is expected in the coming days. Its arrival on the territory is scheduled for the end of the month, according to Romain Alexandre.
