That's at least $ 5 billion more than expected.
The cost of tests, vaccines and other health expenses related to Covid-19 is estimated for 2021 "between 9 and 10 billion euros", well beyond the 4.3 billion entered in the budget, said the director of social Security.
The bill for the epidemic continues to grow for Social Security.
The budget voted in December was a "hypothesis" which "was based on the fact that there would be no new wave in 2021", Franck von Lennep explained on Wednesday during a hearing by the deputies of the Business Committee. social.
The third wave and the English variant responsible
But the third wave and the English variant swept over France, which "led to additional expenditure", with more tests (PCR and antigens) "and over a longer period than we could imagine", he asserted.
The health crisis is also reflected in new “additional costs at the hospital” and “an increase in daily allowances” for sick leave.
In addition, there are purchases of vaccines in large quantities.
In the end, "we will probably be between 9 and 10 billion" euros, announced Franck von Lennep, stressing that this forecast was surrounded by "a lot of uncertainties on what will be the additional costs related to the crisis in the second half of the year. ".
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