France hopes to exceed the target of 10 million people vaccinated against COVID-19 by mid-April, Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Saturday, while pinning laboratories for delays in delivery times.
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“We will have a heavy challenge in April, because we will have a lot of vaccines,” said Mr. Castex during a visit to a vaccination center in Saint-Maixent-L’École (west of the France), before going to the National School of Active NCOs which trains non-commissioned officers of the Army.
“We have set the goal of 10 million vaccinations by April 15 and I do not despair that we exceed it. But we have to be careful, because the labs do us some trouble in respecting delivery deadlines. We have to adapt, ”he continued, while AstraZeneca has just announced further delays.
Much criticized for the slow deliveries of vaccines in Europe and the delays of the AstraZeneca group, the European Commission, which negotiated the contracts on behalf of its 27 member states, announced Thursday that it was extending its mechanism until the end of June. control of vaccine exports and expects deliveries to ramp up in the second quarter.
The day before, the Prime Minister had admitted that the hospital situation was “extremely tense in Île-de-France” due to the increase in the number of people in intensive care, and estimated that it was necessary to “be ready at any time to take further action ”. For the time being, the executive has ruled out the reconfinemet on weekends or full in the Paris region.
France passed the 90,000 death mark from COVID-19 on Friday since it began a year ago.