Vaccination against Covid-19 open to everyone over 70 from Saturday, announces Emmanuel Macron

While the epidemic is racing in Ile-de-France, where the incidence rate is now close to 550 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, against 307 on average across the country, France is accelerating its vaccination campaign by setting up vaccinodromes. Appointments will be authorized for all people over 70 from Saturday March 27, announced Emmanuel Macron, Tuesday March 23 during a trip to a vaccination center in Valenciennes (North).

“I want things to be organized in a methodical way, going down by age groups”, explained the President of the Republic to caregivers, also announcing the establishment of a telephone number for people over 75 years old who have not succeeded in being vaccinated yet. According to a count made this Tuesday evening by the Ministry of Health, more than 6.5 million people have received a first dose (or 9.8% of the population) and more than 2.5 are fully vaccinated.

The number of Covid-19 patients treated in intensive care units continues to grow, with more than 4,600 patients on Tuesday. The pandemic has claimed more than 92,900 victims, according to figures from Public Health France.

  • Soon to targeted campaigns by profession

Teachers will be able to be vaccinated against Covid-19 from the middle or the end of April, when the number of available vaccines will have increased, also announced the President of the Republic.

And to specify: “We are going to have more and more vaccines coming in, this will allow us to consider having targeted campaigns on professions that are exposed, to which we are asking for efforts. Teachers are a legitimate part of it.

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  • The new vaccinodromes will be operational “in the coming days”

The 35 large centers which should make it possible to massively vaccinate the French against Covid-19 “Will be operational in the coming days”, said the Minister for Industry on Tuesday Agnès Pannier-Runacher on BFM-TV. “We are working with local elected officials to put them in place”, she clarified.

France has “Completed the vaccination phase in nursing homes”, was “A little complex”, explained the minister. Now, “We have an acceleration of the delivery of the number of doses and therefore we can move on to a second phase of more massive vaccination”.

Read also Covid-19: who can get vaccinated and when? The vaccination schedule at a glance

The government assured, Monday, March 22, want to open large centers “To massively vaccinate the French” from April. He had initially ruled out the idea of ​​using large centers, associated with the failure of the H1N1 flu immunization campaign.

For now, and after the interruption of the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine for a few days last week, France has more than 6.35 million people who have received at least one dose of vaccine, including nearly 2 , 5 million vaccinated with two doses. The government is still counting on ten million first doses injected in mid-April.

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“It will clearly be BioNTech-Pfizer which will provide the greatest number of doses in the coming weeks”, she said, highlighting the supply issues for AstraZeneca’s product.

  • Members of the scientific council call for new restrictive measures

The new restrictive measures taken in 16 departments to fight against the coronavirus epidemic may be strengthened if it is found that they are not effective, warned on Tuesday. on BFM-TV, Arnaud Fontanet, epidemiologist at the Institut Pasteur and member of the scientific council.

“Strong measures have been taken, they rely a lot on the support of people, he commented. If people follow the recommendations, it can work. If they don’t follow them, unfortunately that won’t be enough. ” And to add that “In places where the situation is becoming critical, it is on the colleges and high schools that it will be necessary to act”.

Beyond “Three regions in critical condition” – the PACA region, Ile-de-France and Hauts-de-France – Arnaud Fontanet believes that “These measures would be very relevant in regions which are still in a more or less controlled state today but which within three to four weeks (…) will find themselves in a critical situation. ” Should we therefore extend them to other departments? “The scientific council, in its opinion, actually recommends in anticipation to test these measures especially to see if they are effective., he pleaded. Now is the time to test them to see if they work. “

  • Five sites contributing to vaccine production in France by the summer

France will have, by the beginning of the summer, five sites participating in the production of vaccines against the coronavirus, announced Tuesday the Secretary of State for European Affairs, Clément Beaune.

“You will have, from the end of March, so in the days to come, a first site that will be mobilized” for the vialing operations for the Moderna vaccine, he declared on Franceinfo. “And then you will gradually have between March, April, May and until the beginning of summer up to five French production sites which will be mobilized for different vaccines”, he continued.

“How many doses [seront produites], we do not yet know exactly “, indicated Clément Beaune, who specified that these doses will be destined for France as for other European countries. “It works both ways. Today, the vaccines arriving for the French are mainly produced in Belgium, the Netherlands for example, and they benefit France and other European countries. It is in our interest to pool our 50 a little over 50 European production plants’, he said.

  • Curfew established in Martinique from Friday

A curfew will be implemented in Martinique from Friday for a period of three weeks, to counter a resumption of the Covid-19 epidemic, the prefect Stanislas Cazelles announced on Tuesday. From 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., Martinicans will no longer be able to go out without a derogatory certificate and only for specific reasons: professional activities, urgent consultations and care and pressing family reasons.

“Contamination often takes place in the evening in a friendly, family and festive setting”, underlined the prefect during a press briefing. Establishments open to the public and having a catering activity in shopping centers will be closed and the consumption of drinks or food prohibited in shopping malls. New restrictions have also been taken for sports activities.

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Le Monde with AFP and Reuters