"Although overall the circulation rate is comparable to the rate last autumn, there are some worrying signs in certain parts of the country," Attal told reporters after the weekly ministers meeting on Wednesday.
He said there were increases in circulation in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region and noted that the reproduction rate was now back above 1 suggesting that “the epidemic is spreading again”.
The trend is worst on the southwest coast, near the Pyrenees, he explained, where the number of infections has risen by 80 percent in one week.
“This is a warning sign," said Attal, appealing to people not to “let their guard down”, while clarifying that the circulation levels remain moderate.
The number of patients in intensive care units dropped below 3,000 on Sunday for the first time since January.
'Unprecedented achievement'
Attal described Monday’s rollout of vaccinations to anyone over the age of 18 as an “unprecedented achievement”, while the fact that 50 percent of all adults in France have now had at least one injection was an “important victory over the epidemic”.
However, he cautioned that as a single dose does not offer full protection, people must remain vigilant.
A total of 26,176 million people have now had at least one dose, according to health ministry figures.
