Back to school maintained on January 3, no curfew for the New Year, return of compulsory teleworking… Faced with the surge in cases due to the omicron variant – more than 100,000 on Saturday, a record since the start of the epidemic – the executive adapted its sanitary arsenal after a defense council.
Faced with the omicron conflagration, the government released a small fire extinguisher. At the end of a new Health Defense Council, the Prime Minister, Jean Castex, presented the response on Monday evening “Proportionate” of the executive. And everything relies on vaccination, which remains “The key and decisive element” of the strategy of the power in place. First measure: reducing the time to receive the booster dose to three months, from Tuesday. The start of the school year will not be postponed as requested by many health professionals. “Yes, we take responsibility for securing the education of children”, insisted the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, in the wake.
No New Year’s Eve curfew
Regarding the December 31 festivities, there will be no curfew, but the prime minister called “In common sense” bambocheurs: “Let us limit the big parties and the big dinners, let us wear the mask, let us respect the barrier gestures.” Last year, a curfew was introduced for the New Year, in the hope of discouraging festive gatherings conducive to contamination. This year, the fireworks are still canceled on New Year’s Eve and the sale of alcohol and food will be prohibited on public roads.
Reinforcement of teleworking and modulated isolation
It’s the big comeback of mandatory teleworking, “in all companies and for all employees at least three days per week and if possible four “, said Jean Castex. The Minister of Labor, Elisabeth Borne, will begin consultations on Tuesday morning with the social partners on this point. Regarding the duration of the isolation, depending on the variant and the vaccination status, the government will specify them at the end of the week. Until now, a person who tested positive was required to self-isolate for at least ten days regardless of the version of the virus. Contact cases of the omicron variant had to isolate themselves, whether vaccinated or not, between seven and … seventeen days if they shared the same home as the infected person. What strongly handicaps the smooth running of businesses.
The vaccination pass replaces the health pass
The vaccination pass will replace “From January 15th” the health pass, if the bill presented on Monday in the Council of Ministers is adopted by Parliament. “In places where [le pass sanitaire] applies […], it will be necessary to justify being vaccinated to be able to return. A negative test will no longer suffice ”, underlined Jean Castex. The government “Provides for increased sanctions against false health passes”, he added, saying to himself “Scandalized” by this practice which constitutes according to him “A deliberate act of endangering others that no personal conviction can justify”.
The government’s objective remains clear: “Increase immunization again and again.” “I can hear that questions are raised around me”, recognized Jean Castex. While nearly 52 million French people have received at least one dose and 20 million a booster dose, the figures for the pandemic continue to increase, the threshold of 100,000 daily cases having been exceeded for the first time on Saturday. “But vaccination reduces the risk of getting infected and the risk of transmitting the disease. Above all, it protects against serious forms of the disease, defended the Prime Minister. It is very clear that vaccination protects us and therefore it protects others and health services. ”
Deprived of popcorn and standing concerts for three weeks
From next Monday and for the next three weeks, the health arsenal will be boosted by “Additional measures”. On the program: limitation of large gatherings to a gauge of 2,000 people inside, 5,000 people outside – except for political events, while the presidential campaign is in full swing. Standing concerts will be prohibited. It is no longer possible to eat or drink in public transport, even on long journeys, as well as in theaters, cinemas and loudspeakers. Finally, you will have to be seated to consume in bars and cafes.