Covid-19: strengthening of health measures under study for the Defense Council – LCI

If the Christmas holidays are the occasion of a short breath for members of the government, the Covid-19 epidemic is still omnipresent and will dictate a large part of the agenda of the next Council of Ministers and Defense . Scheduled for Monday, they should make it possible to see more clearly the extent of the measures taken to stem the progression of the virus and try to curb the very contagious variant Omicron.

What will be the subjects discussed during the Defense Council on Monday? The precise agenda, slips to LCI a government source, will not be decided until Sunday, but several elements should however animate the discussions. In particular, it will be a question of taking stock of the evolution of the health situation, by sifting through the latest available data and by evaluating the impact of the Omicron variant in France, which is increasingly present.

It will also be a question of looking into the isolation procedures, which could be reassessed. The progress of knowledge about the Omicron variant, for which strict measures had been decided, will be among other things discussed. The 7 days of isolation for Omicron contact cases, even vaccinated or tested negative, could be generalized to other variants, Delta in the lead. Remember that contact cases of people positive for the latter are not currently required to isolate themselves.

The intrinsic dangerousness of Omicron will also be put on the table. If it is confirmed that it is decreasing compared to the old variants, the government could be brought to some relaxations in the coming weeks, in particular with regard to the isolation measures. On this point, the hospitalization and mortality data will logically be reviewed and dissected. At the same time, it should be noted that the return of the mask outdoors does not seem to be a subject of discussion for the time being. If its port in places of important concentration – such as Christmas markets – can be justified, the prefectures indeed already have the necessary means to impose it on their territories.

Finally, the question of schools remains to be resolved, in order to prepare for the start of the year. A major change in protocols appears unlikely for the time being, but something new could be announced regarding the isolation of student contact cases. Discussions in which the Minister of National Education, Jean-Michel Blanquer, will logically take part.

The outlines of the vaccination pass are gradually taking shape, as is the use of the so-called “2G +” strategy, leading in certain situations to request a negative test in addition to the pass. Government sources slip that the legislative framework is well specified in the text of the bill which will be debated in Parliament. The text thus evokes the possibility of a “accumulation of supporting documents”. This will be a legislative framework specified subsequently by decree.

The objectives of the majority, through these measures, are twofold. First of all, it would be a question of establishing the principle of double protection in the places most at risk, where contamination is very high. The reopening of establishments such as nightclubs could thus be made conditional on the joint presentation of a vaccination pass and a negative test. Could other places be affected by such a device? Nothing has yet been confirmed, since this will largely depend on epidemiological data and the impact of the virus on the health system. If the device were to expand, the large performance venues or sports would however logically be in the front line.

Finally, there is the question of bars and restaurants. Will it be necessary to present more than proof of vaccination? If all the options seem a priori on the table, the executive considers it unlikely to extend the “2G +” measures so widely. Too restrictive, this track is not favored for the time being.

It should be noted that the vaccination pass is considered in the ranks of the government as a tool to encourage vaccination. People who only enter a vaccination schedule could indeed benefit from access to places subject to the holding of a pass from their first injection. A change from the current health pass, usable only after 7 days after the second injection.