Yasmina Kattou, edited by Laura Laplaud 06:15, February 18, 2022

The authorities have been repeating the same refrain for several days, "the situation is improving", and the lifting of the last restrictions such as the end of the wearing of masks indoors could be lifted by mid-March.

But a question arises: is this really reasonable given the current situation?

Are the signals all green to lift the latest health restrictions?

The answer is yes.

The government has been repeating it for several days, the latest health measures could well fly away by mid-March.

The Minister of Health Olivier Véran also mentioned the possibility of lifting the obligation to wear a mask indoors. 

All signals are green

A decision that seems logical in view of the health situation.

Indeed, all the curves are in free fall: for the third consecutive week, contamination is decreasing: -44% compared to last week.

The incidence rate is also falling very sharply and the positivity rate has been halved in one month.

In other words, out of 100,000 tests carried out, 1,200 come out positive.

In mid-January, more than 3,000 tests came out positive.

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Olivier Véran's answer

In the hospital, too, the situation is improving.

Critical care admissions are less numerous, as are hospitalizations.

It is therefore time to lower the masks, explains epidemiologist Alice Desbiolles.

"The lifting of the restrictions seems to me quite reasonable!"

she says.

"It even seems necessary to me to avoid degrading mental health, physical health, access to care which can be compromised because of the health pass requested to enter a hospital or a clinic", she says. .

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The latest projections from the Institut Pasteur are also optimistic.

Thursday, nearly 1,900 new patients were admitted to hospital.

A figure that could drop quickly: 500 daily admissions are expected by the end of the month, according to the Institute.