Covid-19: in France, the executive relies on the vaccine to escape a fourth wave

A woman is vaccinated while her daughters wait their turn in a shopping center in Paris on July 13, 2021. More than a million people in France have made an appointment to be vaccinated in less than a day.

AP - Michel Euler

Text by: RFI Follow

5 mins

Vaccination was the key word in Emmanuel Macron's speech, Monday, July 12, to counter the resumption of the coronavirus epidemic in France.

The Head of State also announced the extension of the health pass to certain places and the strengthening of border controls.

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As expected, caregivers will be obliged to be vaccinated, but they will not be the only ones to be subject to this obligation. Also concerned are all non-nursing staff, who work in hospitals, retirement homes, establishments for people with disabilities, and all those, employees or volunteers who take care of the elderly or frail, including at home. This therefore goes from medical secretaries to home helpers including ambulance drivers. In total, a little more than 4 million people would be affected, of which 1.5 million would not be vaccinated.

The personnel covered by this obligation will have until September 15 to carry out a complete vaccination schedule.

From this date, there should be checks and sanctions: a leave without pay could intervene initially, before a layoff, even a dismissal.

However, the executive hopes that the principle of the obligation will win the support of the hesitant, even the refractory, like what happened in Italy, when the country opted for this obligation a few months ago. .

On the side of recalcitrant caregivers, some have warned: they will resign - which can be a problem, given the difficulties in recruiting staff in the health sector.

No general vaccination obligation for the moment, but a strong incentive

For the rest of the population eligible for the vaccine, there is no obligation, at least for now.

"

 Depending on the evolution of the situation, we will undoubtedly have to ask ourselves the question of compulsory vaccination for all French people, 

" warned Emmanuel Macron in his speech.

However, he calls on them to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

For the time being, he is making “

 the choice of confidence

 ”.

Relative confidence, because in its announcements, there is a strong incentive for vaccination via the extension of the health pass, which also aims to slow the spread of the virus, but which risks making life complicated for the unvaccinated.

►

To read also: What to remember from Emmanuel Macron's speech on vaccination and pensions

From July 21, the health pass will be necessary to go to places of leisure and culture bringing together more than 50 people.

People over 12 years old will need to show proof of their vaccination, or a recent negative test.

From the beginning of August, this pass will be extended to cafes, restaurants, shopping centers, healthcare establishments and retirement homes, planes, trains and coaches on long journeys, for customers or visitors, but also for employees.

The culture and catering sector worried

The reactions were not long in coming, especially in the cultural or catering sector, which suffered particularly from the health crisis.

Thus, restaurateurs point to the very short timeframe for staff to be fully vaccinated, the current difficulty in hiring, and the difficulty in coming to control the guests;

they also fear that their establishments will be shunned by certain customers who, if they are not vaccinated, will have to be tested, and this soon at their expense.

Indeed, from this fall, PCR tests will become chargeable except on medical prescription.

The objective here again: to encourage vaccination, rather than the multiplication of tests.

A measure disapproved, however, by doctors, who fear a lesser use of screening.

Finally, border controls will be reinforced for nationals coming from countries at risk, with forced isolation for unvaccinated travelers.

In short, the

vaccine

is what the executive is banking on to escape a big fourth wave and get out of the health crisis on a lasting basis.

The figures are quite low for the moment, - 3,500 daily cases on average -, but this is increasing rapidly in some departments, and among young people due to the spread of the more contagious Delta variant and the

easing of restrictive measures

in June.

Emmanuel Macron has said it clearly: the approach is to " 

place the restrictions on the unvaccinated rather than on all

 ".

The effect of these announcements was immediate: more than 900,000 people, two-thirds of whom were under 35, blocked a vaccination appointment Monday evening on Doctolib, one of the main platforms for taking medication. appointment, according to the management of the company.

► To read also: Speech by Emmanuel Macron: "We are witnessing a neomacronism"

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