Europe 1 with AFP 4:53 p.m., September 16, 2021

According to the Head of State, who spoke at the Meetings of the Union of Local Businesses (U2P), the lifting of constraints in certain territories "will not come so late" with regard to the improvement of health situation. "We are on a good trajectory," confirmed Olivier Véran.

Emmanuel Macron welcomed the "results" of the anti-Covid health pass on Thursday and envisaged the lifting of "certain constraints as soon as sanitary conditions allow", including that of the pass in places. The health pass, which has favored vaccination, is "a management tool which has made it possible to avoid closure and it is proportionate" and "we will keep it in the pocket to avoid closure everywhere which is the worst thing of the day" , defended the President of the Republic during the Meetings of the Union of local businesses (U2P).

"As soon as the sanitary conditions allow it and, in my opinion, when I see the figures, it will not come so late", we will be able to "allow ourselves in the territories where the virus circulates less quickly to lift certain constraints and to relive normally ", rejoiced the Head of State.

Claiming his "pragmatism", he said he was ready to "lift the pass, in the places where it is put, where the virus hardly circulates any more".

The health pass, a "precious tool"

For his part, the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, had indicated in the morning that the situation of the Covid-19 epidemic in France had "considerably improved" and that if "this dynamic" continued, "we we can start to consider easing certain measures ".

"There are still some 10,000 contaminations per day, the epidemic is not over. On the other hand, we are on a rate of reduction of at least 30% in one week, the hospital load in metropolitan France is decreasing - less than 2,000 patients in intensive care - we are on a good trajectory ", he declared on RTL.

"The situation has improved considerably thanks to the massive vaccination of the French population, the maintenance of barrier gestures, the vigilance of the French and precious tools such as the health pass", detailed the minister.

For Véran, the start of the school year was "successful"

However, "we are not yet in a situation which makes it possible to reduce" the "epidemic control measures", of which the health pass is part. "It would be a little too soon," said Olivier Véran. "On the other hand, if we continue on this dynamic, we can begin to consider reducing certain measures. Will it go through the sanitary pass? We will see," he continued. "We will be able to gradually reduce them in the departments where the virus will circulate less, we will do it when needed," he concluded.

In addition, the Minister of Health judged the return to school "successful at this stage in a health plan", even if "there are closings of classes". "If we were to have a negative impact of the start of the school year on the epidemic, we would know it in the present days, the days to come," he said. "It is too early to be optimistic, we will know more by next week."