“We haven’t stopped since this morning”: on the eve of the holidays, the Covid-19 screening centers overloaded


REPORTING – The multiplication of contact cases and the imminence of family reunions are pushing hundreds of thousands of French people to be tested.

We made a point of coming around 10:30 am so that there would be fewer people, but we still had about forty minutes of queuing.“Barely arrived at the end of the line which goes up along the rue de Trétaigne in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, Lou, 29, looks a little depressed at the many people in front of her. Like many French people, the young woman wants to make sure she does not have the Covid before meeting with her family for the Christmas holidays: “we want to protect our parents», She explains.

Group reunions, often in the same room, reluctance to open the windows due to low outside temperatures and a high probability of not fully respecting barrier gestures and wearing a mask: all the parameters are met to amplify the risks transmission. “I came to make sure that I was not a carrier of the virus before being reunited with my family», Explains Guillaume, 43, who is waiting his turn to get tested,«in addition I am in contact, so we do two in oneHe adds, laughing.

SEE ALSO – Covid-19: the Omicron variant should be “in the majority in France between Christmas and New Year”, warns Gabriel Attal

Fifth epidemic wave

Like last year, these festive gatherings take place in the midst of an epidemic wave. The incidence rate continues to increase and the number of people in intensive care has just passed the three thousand mark. “Of course, it is also useful for the holidays but I came because I am in contact. It made me take the plunge because I hate those nasal tests and I sure wouldn’t have done any otherwise“, Admits Tanguy, 23, coming out of a screening tent at Place de la Nation in the 11th arrondissement of Paris.

Next to him, Karine, 34, waits her turn with a stroller: “I’m a little worried because my daughter has been sick for several days“. “We take advantage of it, it will be useful for the family», She adds, before entering the tent. Inside, two people in blue coats multiply back and forth between the patients and the pharmacy next door: “we haven’t stopped since this morning“, Julien, 20 years old, breathes,”I can’t even tell you how many people have passed by“. A sustained pace that allows both people in line and testers not to suffer too much from the cold, the temperature approaching zero degrees.

In the government, it is hoped that the acceleration of vaccination will help curb the epidemic and also reduce the number of daily tests. More than 800,000 are practiced every day according to Covidtracker. However, some side effects of the booster dose may cause French people to go for testing. When leaving a pharmacy in the 9th arrondissement, Luc, 68, is worried: “I had my third dose on Saturday and since yesterday it has not been going well at all. So I came to check that I did not have the Covid“.



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