French health minister Olivier Véran has warned that the Covid-19 virus is no longer slowing. He emphasised the importance of personal protection and social distancing measures as well as vaccinations.
Several top doctors and infectious diseases specialists have predicted a possible spike in the virus in September but Véran said in a tweet on Sunday that a fourth wave might arrive well before then.
Depuis 5j, le virus ne baisse plus, il réaugmente. A cause du variant delta qui est très contagieux. L'exemple anglais montre qu'une vague est possible dès la fin Juillet. Nous pouvons la limiter et en limiter l'impact sanitaire: gestes barrières, vaccin, tester/alerter/protéger
— Olivier Véran (@olivierveran) July 4, 2021
"Over the last five days, the spread of the virus has stopped slowing, it's increasing. Because of the Delta variant, it is extremely contagious,” Véran said on Twitter.
"Events in Britain show that a new wave is possible from the end of July. We can limit it and also limit its impact on people's health,” he said, stressing that people should continue taking protective measures.
He also underlined the importance of the vaccination programmes and the test, trace and protect procedures.
Véran is paying close attention to the situation in the UK, where the epidemic has evolved more rapidly than in France.
Delta is the most prevalent variant in the UK, accounting for more than 97 per cent of new cases on 3 July according to figures.
Twenty per cent of new cases in France have been identified as Delta variants.
After a significant drop in recent weeks, persuading the government to lift the months-long curfew and obligation to wear masks in the streets, the number of new cases is now stable according to statistics released on 4 July.
On Sunday, figures showed there were 7,913 Covid patients in hospital, compared to 7,912 on Saturday and 8,986 on the last Sunday in June.
Of that number, just over 1,000 were receiving intensive care compared to 1,345 on 27 June.
