Faced with the growing protest against the health pass with 237,000 demonstrators gathered Saturday across France, the Minister of Health Olivier Véran announced relaxations in its application, during an interview with Le Parisien to be published Sunday, August 8.

Already required in places of culture since the end of July, the health pass will be extended Monday to many establishments, including restaurants.

It takes the form of a QR code testifying to a complete vaccination schedule, the negativity of a Covid-19 test or the recovery from the disease.

From now on, "a negative screening will be valid 72 hours and no longer 48 hours for the unvaccinated", declared the minister.

Another relaxation: "it will be possible to perform self-tests supervised by a health professional, in addition to antigen and PCR tests. These too will be valid for 72 hours."

The pass will not be requested for a visit to a general practitioner, recalled the minister.

On the other hand, "in hospitals, it will be, but in no case should it be a barrier to accessing useful and urgent care".

Avoid other curfews and confinements

Olivier Véran was also confident about the goal of 50 million first-time vaccines by the end of August.

"We are currently performing between 300,000 and 400,000 first-time injections per day, and we are already at more than 44 million. We expect a low in the heart of August but the target of 50 million first-time injections made at the end of the month, or more than 85% of the 58 million French people who can be vaccinated, should be reached. "

He estimated that the past and the progress of vaccination should avoid other curfews and confinements "as in the overseas departments where the situation has become more than worrying", due to low vaccination coverage.

"We are probably going to have to requisition caregivers in metropolitan France to save lives. We are there."

In France, "we will have to deprogram care and call staff on leave, urgently reopen intensive care beds" in the southern departments most affected, he said, specifying that transfers of patients to other regions were also in preparation.

A Health Defense Council will be held on Wednesday by videoconference.

In particular, it will discuss the injection of a third dose of vaccine to the most vulnerable people.

With AFP

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