France calls for mass Covid vaccination: ‘Risk of a new wave is real’

There is a real risk of a fourth wave of Covid-19 arriving rapidly due to the spread of the Delta variant, France’s government spokesman Gabriel Attal warned today (July 7).

He was speaking after the regular weekly Covid-19 meeting with key ministers, called the Conseil de défense sanitaire, which was attended by President Emmanuel Macron.

Mr Attal called for mass vaccinations to counter the spread of the virus and said there would be another meeting next Monday (July 12) to evaluate the health situation.

Key points from Mr Attal’s press conference relating to Covid-19 in France are:

• The situation is deteriorating in France due to the Delta variant, which is "formidable and rapid" and which now represents 40% of cases in France
• There is a risk that a fourth wave of Covid-19 will arrive rapidly
• The situation in Ile-de-France is deteriorating quickly with all departments there showing a rise in cases
• There has been an increase of 91% in Covid-19 cases in Paris in one week
• The incidence rate (the number of Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people) has increased in 11 of the 13 regions in metropolitan France
• He said the rate increased by 21%, and in 20-29-year-olds it almost doubled in one week
• The situation in hospitals is continuing to improve
• When asked about making vaccinations mandatory for care home staff, he said there would be a “new step” to speed up vaccinations
• Vaccinations must be used to avoid spoiling the summer
• The rate of vaccinated care home staff has risen from 52% to 60% but, Mr Attal said, this is not enough and “we must go further”
• He confirmed that nightclubs will reopen using the ‘health pass’. “If an establishment does not respect the rules, we will take administrative measures to close it,” he said
• There will be another defence meeting on Monday (July 12) to evaluate the Covid-19 situation

Mr Macron is set to speak publicly before July 14 about the Covid-19 crisis and coming reforms, newspaper La Dépêche reports.

Read more:

Covid France: Delta variant now over 50% of cases in three regions

Coronavirus: Daily updates on the situation in France