The resurgence is confirmed.
The number of Covid-19 screening tests has increased for the second consecutive week, according to figures published on Thursday by the Ministry of Health.
The recovery is clear: between March 14 and 20, nearly 3 million antigen and PCR tests were carried out, against just over 2.5 million the previous week, specifies the Statistics Department (Drees) in a press release. .
Positive cases have doubled
After two months of decline from January to early March, the increase concerns all age groups, with a slightly more marked increase among those under 16 years old.
This renewed demand comes at a time when the epidemic is picking up again: the average number of positive cases has doubled in three weeks, from 52,000 at the start of March to 104,000 on Wednesday.
A level which nevertheless remains bearable for laboratories, where the arsenal of tests has remained unchanged since the start of the Omicron wave in November.
“We have kept our staff and our machines, and we have no particular concern about supply,” assures AFP François Blanchecotte, president of the Syndicate of Biologists.
A sufficient supply
As for pharmacists, Philippe Besset, head of the first union of the profession (FSPF) notes that the profile of people queuing in front of pharmacies has changed in recent weeks: “It is more often symptomatic people who want to know if they have the Covid or not ”.
He adds that currently nearly 80% of the 21,000 French pharmacies offer antigenic screening for Covid-19.
For vaccination, the proportion drops to 40%.
However, the offer remains sufficient in the face of sluggish demand: last week, the average was 22,000 doses per day.
“Keeping a fabric of open centers”
Consequently, the number of “active” vaccination centers (more than 100 daily injections), which had already fallen from 700 to 400 at the beginning of March, continues to decrease.
The Directorate General of Health (DGS) now lists 233, but points out that a total of 400 centers still sell at least 50 doses per week.
Affirming that the ministry "is not working in the direction of closing all the centers", the DGS explains that it wants to "keep a fabric of centers open" in view in particular of the "second reminder" campaign for the over 80 years old.
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Covid-19
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