While 20 departments remain under the threat of a toughening of measures, Emmanuel Macron believes that it is still necessary to hold "four to six weeks".

The government is counting on the acceleration of the vaccination campaign, in particular with the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which will be extended to people aged 65 to 75 years with comorbidities. 

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Faced with restrictive measures that drag on, the executive is banking on the acceleration of vaccination.

While a new tightening of measures is still being considered in twenty departments, Olivier Véran announced Monday that the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine would be extended to people aged 65 to 75 years with comorbidities.

For his part, Emmanuel Macron estimated during a trip that it was still necessary to hold "four to six weeks" against the Covid-19.

Follow the evolution of the situation live. 

The main information to remember

  • Indicators are deteriorating in France

  • The use of the AstraZeneca vaccine extended to "65-75 years" with "comorbidities"

  • Emmanuel Macron believes that it is still necessary to hold "four to six weeks"

  • Vaccination speeds up around the world

In France, intensive care admissions on the rise

379 Covid-19 patients died in hospital in 24 hours according to data from Public Health France on Monday, a figure on the rise, like that of patients admitted to intensive care, which has risen above the 3,500 mark.

With 3,544 people treated in its intensive care units, including 347 received during the last 24 hours, the level of occupation is similar to that at the beginning of December, at the end of the second epidemic wave of the coronavirus.

The total number of people hospitalized reached 25,430 on Monday, up from Sunday.

Nearly 86,829 people sick with Covid-19 have died since the start of the epidemic, about a year ago.

While they had decreased at the beginning of February, the cases of contamination detected then started to rise again, reaching nearly 140,000 the week of February 15, against just under 130,000 the previous week.

Monday, where the figure is traditionally low after the weekend, 4,703 additional cases were recorded by Public Health France

Covid-19: the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine extended to "65-75 years" with "comorbidities"

"From now on", people aged "50 years and over, including 65-75 years", who suffer from "what are called comorbidities, frailties", will be able "to be vaccinated with AstraZeneca", at "their attending physician, in the hospital which follows them "or" in a few days in pharmacy ", declared Monday evening the Minister of Health Olivier Véran on France 2. 

Olivier Véran argued on France 2 that the High Authority for Health (HAS) "now considers, since today, that all the vaccines available to us in France, AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna, have qualified efficacy remarkable ".

The extension of the use of AstraZeneca will make it possible to reach "2.5 million French people", indicated the minister.

Macron asks to hold "another four to six weeks"

Emmanuel Macron estimated Monday that it was still necessary to hold "four to six weeks" against the Covid-19, during a visit to Seine-Saint-Denis, responding to a young man who asked him to push back the curfew of 6 to 7 p.m.

According to the Elysee Palace, the Head of State was referring to the progression of the vaccination of the elderly, which should help to clarify the horizon by relieving hospital pressure. 

Consultations took place Monday between prefects and local elected officials of the twenty departments, in particular in Ile-de-France and around large metropolises (Lyon, Marseille, Lille) who fear a new explosion of contaminations with the spread of more contagious variants.

The PS mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, reiterated her opposition to confinement of the capital at the weekend, advocating on the contrary access to public spaces for the population and asking that the rate of vaccination be multiplied by four.

Meeting Wednesday or Thursday at the Elysée on the reopening scenarios

The President of the Republic will meet Wednesday or Thursday at the Elysee Jean Castex and the ministers concerned to study the different scenarios for reopening public places, including the "health pass" mentioned last week by the Head of State, a- we confirmed from a source close to the executive.

The executive intends to study the tools of anticipation as well as the modalities that such a "health pass" could include, such as QR codes to be used in public places, experimental protocols for cultural and sporting events or restaurants, in order to 'be ready when the reopening is possible, according to the same source.

This meeting will take place after a Defense Council on Wednesday which should decide on possible restrictions to be applied to the 20 departments under enhanced surveillance.

Unless there is an outbreak, there are other solutions than weekend containment in these 20 departments, the same source points out, such as lowering the level of shops - for example closing the more than 5,000 m2 or 10,000 m2, against the more than 20,000 m2 currently -, or even prohibit very frequented places such as quays or "streets of thirst".

Immunization is gaining ground around the world 

Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire became the first countries to be vaccinated against Covid-19 on Monday thanks to the Covax device intended for poor countries, while the United States prepared for the arrival of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Four million doses of this single-dose vaccine called Janssen Covid-19 will be distributed from Tuesday across the Atlantic. 

In addition, the American biotechnology company Novavax said Monday that it hopes to file an application for authorization for its vaccine in the United Kingdom at the beginning of the second quarter of 2021, and to be able to do the same soon after in the United States.

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But the Covid will not be defeated by the end of the year, according to the WHO

If the vaccine accelerates in the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) considers it unrealistic to think that humanity will be rid of Covid-19 by the end of the year.

Michael Ryan, WHO's director of emergency operations, said it would still be possible to bring down the numbers of hospitalizations and deaths.

But the pandemic remains virulent, especially after a further rise in the number of cases this week after seven consecutive weeks of decline.

According to Michel Ryan, the WHO is focusing on keeping the transmission of the virus low, helping to prevent the appearance of variants and reducing the number of people infected.

Vaccinating frontline and most vulnerable health workers will "remove the fear and tragedy of the pandemic," he added.

More than 2.5 million dead

The Covid-19 pandemic has killed at least 2.53 million people worldwide, according to a report established by AFP from official sources Monday at 11:00 GMT.

The United States is the most affected country with 514,320 deaths, followed by Brazil (255,720), Mexico (185,715), India (157,157) and the United Kingdom (122,849).