Covid: the bar of 2 million tests in one week crossed again

Europe 1 with AFP 3:53 p.m., June 30, 2022

The number of tests has "again" crossed the two million mark in a week, according to figures published Thursday by the Ministry of Health, illustrating the acceleration of the seventh wave of the Covid epidemic.

With more than 2.1 million PCR and antigen tests validated between June 20 and 26 against more than 1.6 million the previous week, "the increase in the number of tests is accentuated", indicates the direction of statistics (Drees ) in a press release.

An increase in tests following the strong rebound in the epidemic

Falling to just over a million at the end of May, the number of tests has continued to rise since then, a little more markedly each week.

If the number of tests is on the rise "for all age groups", it remains much more marked among those under 16 (+ 49%).

This increase in tests follows the strong rebound in the epidemic at the start of the summer.

Nearly 125,000 new cases were recorded Wednesday evening by Public Health France, 57% more than a week earlier and at the highest level since the end of April.

The seventh wave of Covid-19 should "not spoil the summer", but the healthcare system could be under pressure again towards the end of July, said Thursday the president of the scientific council Jean-François Delfraissy.

"It's not going to ruin the summer because we are vaccinated," he added.

For his part Alain Fischer, president of the orientation council for the French vaccine strategy, again encouraged the most fragile (over 60 and immunocompromised), on France Inter, to make a 4th dose of vaccine.