Céline Géraud, edited by Solène Leroux
The fifth wave of Covid-19 is taking shape in France. More than 18,000 cases are recorded every day on average. Which departments are most affected? What is the national incidence rate? How are the authorities organizing themselves in the face of this epidemic resumption? Europe 1 takes stock.
You have undoubtedly seen it around you, whether at work, at school or with friends: the cases of Covid-19 are on the rise. Something to alert the authorities. The Minister of Labor, Elisabeth Borne, notably called on companies to remobilize on barrier gestures, while the president of the scientific council, Jean-François Delfraissy, expects “not easy weeks” in hospitals. What are the signals of the fifth wave in France? Which departments are most affected? Should we fear new measures?
171 cases per 100,000 inhabitants
The incidence rate is the first indicator of epidemic recovery. Across the country, it is now 171 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, or more than 80% in seven days, while the alert threshold is set at 50. As of November 22, a quarter of the departments shows a rate of incidence above 200. This even explodes in five departments: Ardèche reaches the record rate of 358, closely followed by Haute-Corse (326), Landes (267), Bouches-du-Rhône (264) and Haut-Rhin (263). But these incidence rates are not as threatening as at the start of the epidemic.
Booster vaccine for all adults considered
Vaccination coverage remains a good shield against serious cases. Hospitals are not yet saturated and the recall campaign for those over 65 is in full swing. Monday evening, the Scientific Council and the Advisory Council for the Vaccine Strategy, the two advisory bodies created by the government, judge that a booster vaccine can be considered for all adults. On Friday, the High Authority for Health recommended injecting the booster dose from the age of 40. Finally, this afternoon, the mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, announced that vaccination slots will be open to everyone from the age of 12, for a booster dose from December 1.