Paris (AFP)

The verdict on the effects of the curfew will fall next week, Health Minister Olivier Véran said on Sunday, referring to the taking of "additional measures", called "confinement", "if it does not decrease and if the variants start to spread everywhere ".

"I am waiting first to be fixed on the effects of the curfew. We will be next week," said the Minister of Health in Paris on Sunday.

"If things don't go down, if the variants start to spread everywhere, then we will take additional measures, of course."

"And it's called containment," he adds.

"If we see that the virus begins to progress strongly, we close. We will do it if we have no choice," continues Olivier Véran.

"The one we put in place in October was effective. But I can tell you that there is no hidden plan or pre-written scenario."

On the failures of the vaccination campaign, the minister assured that there would be no more "bad experience" in the distribution of vaccine doses by vaccination center.

"From this beginning of the week, the French will know on the site, how many vaccines each center has and the number of appointments already made. This will greatly facilitate things," he promises.

Asked about the establishment of a vaccine passport, the minister estimated that for the time being "the question does not arise because everyone does not yet have access to the vaccine, and we do not know s 'it prevents transmission ".

But "in a few months when things have changed, we will not be able to deprive the French of this debate," said the minister.

Welcoming a "adherence rate" to vaccination higher than expectations - "we hoped for 70% membership in nursing homes, we are above", just like for caregivers "where we were betting on 50% "- Olivier Véran anticipates a" very high "vaccination coverage rate.

Referring to the issue of student distress, the minister announced that he was working on setting up a "mental health first aid" system.

"Eight faculties are offering it today, I want to generalize it, including in the business world," he said.

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