Fifth wave: “we are reaching the peak”, assures Olivier Véran – LCI

“We are reaching the peak” of the fifth wave, says Olivier Véran. In an interview with our colleagues from Parisian Posted on Saturday evening, the Minister of Health and Solidarity confirms the latest data which suggests that the worst is perhaps behind us, despite the contamination records: 53,720 new cases of Covid-19 were still identified on Saturday , against 55,339 Friday.

However, for several days, the average increase in cases observed over a week has weakened. It almost drops to + 5% between December 4 and 11, underlines the minister. This same indicator was at + 60% at the end of November, and almost at + 30% the first days of December, recall the figures from Public Health France.

“It’s a good sign”, judge Olivier Véran, who sees it as the reward of “efforts of the French”, as already greeted by the spokesperson government, Gabriel Attal, after his booster dose.

Several measures could explain this state of affairs. Among other things, massive screening, with an increase of 10% between December 1 and 8, but not only, adds the French minister, pointing to the “contact reduction” and the acceleration of the vaccination campaign. In the latter area, several records have been broken in recent days: Friday, 850,000 people were vaccinated, including 780,000 people with a booster dose. That same day, the bar of 90% of French people having received at least one injection was also crossed, congratulated the Prime Minister, Jean Castex.

In the evening, Olivier Véran was already setting another course: 20 million recalls by Christmas. “With 600,000 to 700,000 vaccinations per day and 500,000 at weekends, this threshold is attainable”, he promises to Parisian. This vaccination rate must still be maintained. To this end, “we have opened 200 additional centers, soon it will be 300”, he adds. The professional physician also praises the role of pharmacists authorized to open on sunday to prick.

“All these efforts allow us to face this meteoric wave”, continues Olivier Véran, sweeping aside the idea of ​​new health restrictions. “I said, we are not heading towards containment”, he assures in the interview. However, he remains nuanced about the future, fearing the arrival of new mutations in the virus, like the Omicron variant, which is on the way to becoming dominant in the world. “To say that confinement will never happen again is impossible”, he points out.

“It remains to be seen whether the contaminations will then decrease rapidly or remain on a high plateau”, warns the minister, who calls for “to be careful” during the Christmas holidays by restricting contact, screening each other and respecting barrier gestures. For Olivier Véran, the sum is clear: “If you are vaccinated and tested, the risk of infecting those you love is minimal.”