PARIS, France | France will expand COVID-19 vaccination to a wider public in the coming weeks, the government’s goal being to gradually ease restrictions by the summer vacation.
• Read also – COVID-19: first case of Indian variant detected in France
All French people over 18 will be able to be vaccinated from June 15, announced President Macron on Friday, after unveiling the schedule for the lifting of the restriction measures the day before.
People over 50 without a particular disease will have less time to wait: for them, the vaccination will be open from May 15, added Mr. Macron.
For the moment, vaccination is open to all French people from the age of 55 and specific medical reasons are necessary below this age, excluding priority professions.
A first enlargement will take place this weekend, with the opening of vaccination “to some 4 million fragile French”, that is to say adults who “suffer from chronic diseases”, had previously announced the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, on franceinfo radio.
In recent days, many voices have been raised in France to put pressure on the government to open wide the floodgates of vaccination.
But the executive refuses to blow up the criteria before June 15. “There are departments in which there are still many vulnerable people to be vaccinated”, explained Mr. Véran.
In total, more than 15 million people have already received a first injection (29% of the adult population), of which 6.2 million have been fully vaccinated (9.3% of the total population, 11.9% of the major).
Indian variant
At the same time, the reduction in the restriction measures will be done in four stages: Monday, May 3 (end of travel restrictions to 10 km, partial return of middle school and high school students to class), May 19 (curfew extended to 9 p.m., limited reopening of shops, cinemas, museums, theaters and bar terraces), June 9 (curfew at 11 p.m., limited reopening of indoor cafes and restaurants) then June 30 (end of curfew), on the eve of vacation.
These reopenings are however worrying some specialists, the indicators of the epidemic remaining at a high level despite a slow decline.
29,487 Covid patients are currently hospitalized, including 5,804 in intensive care, and 321 people have died in hospital in the past 24 hours, for a total of 104,253 deaths since the start of the epidemic.
Another source of concern is linked to the first detections of the Indian variant in the southwest and the south of France.
Spotted in at least 17 countries, this variant is of concern because of the spectacular deterioration of the health situation in India.
However, nothing proves that he is the only one responsible: according to the WHO, the epidemic explosion in this country is undoubtedly largely fueled by large gatherings of population, without barrier gestures.