The risk of an epidemic resumption in the coming weeks persists, according to the scientific council.
- The scientific council is made up of about fifteen specialists.
- More than 17 million people have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
- As of May 7, 106,130 people have died of Covid-19 in France.
A necessary reopening… under conditions
Faced with the weariness of the population and the psychological consequences of the epidemic, the scientific council judges the reopening “desirable and even necessary”.”It responds to strong expectations and gives a perspective to society as a whole, a perspective whose psychological, social and economic benefits are undoubtedly major.“, indicate the specialists in the text.
However, it is necessary that the protective measures, in particular the barrier gestures, are respected. “Our fellow citizens must be aware of the issues raised by the reopening, they specify. Their individual adherence to the protective measures in this period of reopening is fundamental to moving towards a more serene start to the summer.The scientific council recalls that these measures were less respected last summer. However, faced with higher levels of circulation of the virus this year and the arrival of variants, wearing a mask, safety distances and frequent hand washing is paramount.
A possible fourth wave?
For the scientific advice, if the virus is circulating at low levels in the coming weeks, “the coming months will be much easier to manage“. In sum, if the rates remain below 10,000 new cases per day, this would relieve hospitals and health personnel, reduce the risk of new variants and regain control of the epidemic. In the case opposite, “the coming months will be very uncertain“, say the scientists. To prevent a potential fourth wave, in addition to maintaining health measures, the scientific council considers a gradual reopening necessary, depending on epidemic indicators.
A necessary acceleration of vaccination
For these specialists, vaccination is one of the major elements in the fight against the virus. Today, approximately 24.5% of the French population is vaccinated. Vaccine immunity will be reached when 80% of the population has received both doses.
For now, the goal is to vaccinate 35 million people by the end of June. To do this, it will be necessary to vaccinate 500,000 people per day, specifies the text. Faced with the threat of variants, the acceleration of the vaccination campaign is all the more important. It must materialize in the weeks to come: from May 10, vaccination will be authorized for those over 50. From May 12, there will no longer be an age limit for appointments made the day before for the next day, in order to dispose of unused doses.
