To face the 7th wave of Covid-19, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne presented this Monday, July 4 in the Council of Ministers a new health emergency bill against Covid-19. This text, which will be examined from next Monday in the National Assembly will “to extend some absolutely essential provisions to deal with the continuation of the covid-19 epidemic in our country“said former Minister of Health Olivier Véran, now government spokesperson.On the other hand, all the other measures to fight against the epidemic are no longer part of this bill.“, he continued.
So return of the mask in public transport, reinstatement of the health pass… What does the government concretely plan? The text presented on Monday does not provide for extending beyond July 31 the possibility of reinstating the state of health emergency. It also excludes the return of a health or vaccination pass to restrict access to certain places or public gatherings. Nevertheless, a paper from the project proposes, from July 31 “if the situation were to require it, that is to say in the event of a new variant for example, to be able to restore a pass system but a pass at the borders or between the metropolitan territory and the Overseas Territories“, continued the government spokesman.
Finally, the government will extend until March 31, 2023 the SI-DEP computer files (results of screening tests) and Contact Covid (infected people and contact cases). “We can’t afford to stop monitoring the circulation of the virus“, said Olivier Véran.
No mask obligation, but very strong recommendations
Faced with the arrival of the new BA.4 and BA.5 variants, theimportance of vaccination was also once again highlighted. “Despite the cumulative effect of injections and infections, the level of protection is no longer optimal. In addition, the vaccines remain safe: there are no more side effects during a fourth dose. It’s simple: the 8.5 million eligible French people who have not yet received it must go to their pharmacy or their general practitioner.“, insists Alain Fischer, president of the Orientation Council for the government’s vaccine strategy, while saying that he is in favor of a new obligation of the mask in transport “for frail people, and probably for the whole population“.
There is therefore no question of reimposing the mask indoors for the moment, but very strong recommendations nevertheless come from many epidemiologists. “It would be a good idea for the population to wear the mask, in particular to protect the most fragile and avoid massive contamination.“, declared Professor Pascal Crépey to news.fr. The Prime Minister herself recommended – without making it compulsory – to wear the mask “in crowded places” and “confined spaces“, especially “public transport“.
Read also:
- Case contact Covid July 2022: isolation, protocol, what to do?
- Positive Covid test: declaration of isolation, duration of contagion, what to do?
- Covid-19: how to treat yourself at home?
