The government has announced new measures in France, in an effort to stem the spread of the new Omicron mutation.
As announced, for the holiday season, large parties in public places and fireworks are prohibited on New Year’s Eve. For citizens, vaccinated or not, there is a recommendation to take a self test before meeting at New Year’s parties.
In addition, the conditions for access to the country with the health pass are tightened, while the interval for the administration of the booster dose is reduced to four months from five.
The announcements were made after the meeting of the health defense council, which was convened to consider the measures in view of the fifth wave of Covid-19 and the highly contagious Omicron variant.
As for the health pass, as announced, at the beginning of the year it will be turned into a “vaccine pass”, which can no longer be activated with a simple negative test, but only if the holder has been fully vaccinated (or if he has recovered from Covid) and has received a booster dose.
“From now on, only vaccination will be valid in the fold,” said Prime Minister Jean-Castex after a meeting of the health council.
He even added that “the Omicron variant, whose dispersion rate is” rapidly around us in Europe “,” will spread very quickly to the extent that it will become dominant by the beginning of 2022 “in France.
It is noted that the demonstration of the health pass in France is requested, among others, in restaurants, shopping malls, entertainment venues and museums.
Jean Castex added that the measure would be the subject of a bill to be presented to the French National Assembly in early January, which would also include the will to “tighten the conditions of control and sanctions against counterfeit passports”.
“It is no longer acceptable for some millions of French people to refuse to be vaccinated would endanger the life of an entire country,” he said.
“We undertake to impose restrictions on the unvaccinated, because the intensive care units of our hospitals are filled, mainly, with unvaccinated people,” Castex explained.
In addition, the interval for administering a booster dose will be reduced to four months from five.
The head of the French government also said that large parties in public places and fireworks will be banned on New Year’s Eve and advised citizens, even vaccinated, to take a self-test before meeting at New Year’s parties.
More than 121,000 people have died from covid-19 in France since the beginning of the pandemic, out of a population of 67 million. Almost 90% of the population over the age of 12 is vaccinated.
A total of 15,410 people with Covid-19 are being treated, including 1,449 patients admitted to the hospital in the last 24 hours. Nearly 3,000 patients are treated in intensive care units.
President Macron cancels trip to Mali due to health crisis
Due to the health crisis, according to a statement from the French presidency, President Emmanuel Macron canceled his trip to Mali to meet with the interim president and celebrate Christmas with French troops.
“This decision was taken for reasons of consistency between the measures announced at national level and the president’s international agenda, and with the concern that our military might not be exposed at a time of deteriorating health in metropolitan France,” the Elysee said.
The announcement of the cancellation was made after the meeting of the health defense council, which was convened to consider new measures in front of the fifth wave of Covid-19 and the Omicron variant.
His trip to Jordan was canceled by French Prime Minister Jean Castex
The decision to cancel his trip to Jordan was also made by the Prime Minister of France Jean Castex. According to a statement from his office, the decision was made in an effort “to prevent the introduction of the Omicron variant into French troops on exposed ground”.
Castex was to travel to Jordan to “show the country’s support for French troops participating in Operation Chammal along with French allies present in the area.” He would be accompanied by Armed Forces Minister Florence Parley and government spokesman Gabriel Atal.
Hundreds of French troops are taking part in Operation Chammal, which continues to fight jihadists within the international coalition in Iraq and Syria.
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