France recorded nearly 73,000 new infections on Tuesday.
Paris, France:
Health Minister Olivier Veran said the number of daily Covid-19 infections in France will exceed 100,000 by the end of December due to the faster-spreading variant of Omicron.
He told BFM-TV in an interview: “This is what the model is showing in an interview, and also announced that from Wednesday, France will open the door to vaccinations for children for the first time. from 5 to 11 years old.
France recorded nearly 73,000 new infections on Tuesday, with an average of more than 54,000 cases over the past seven days. But officials fear that the arrival of Omicron has changed the nature of the pandemic.
Veran says that Omicron cases account for 20% of new infections in France but up to 35% in the Paris region.
He said this variant is expected to account for the majority of new cases between Christmas and New Year.
“One thing is for sure. Omicron is very contagious, it will spread and no country will be spared,” Veran said, noting that the vaccine affected the variant.
President Emmanuel Macron is keeping a close eye on the spread of Omicron, with his handling of the pandemic seen as a key issue in the 2022 presidential election.
Unlike some of its European neighbors like the Netherlands, France has not re-imposed tough restrictions before Christmas to slow its spread.
But the country has one of the strictest medical pass systems in Europe, with proof of full vaccinations, rehabilitation or needing a recent check to enter cultural facilities and food services. drink.
The government is now enacting legislation to tighten this even further to turn the health card into a vaccine card, meaning it will only come into effect with full vaccination and not through testing or rehab.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and was automatically generated from the feed provided.)
