Rushing to get COVID vaccines as French government tightens screws

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PARIS (Reuters) – Hundreds of thousands of people in France scrambled to schedule coronavirus vaccinations after the president warned that non-vaccinators would face restrictions aimed at curbing the rapid spread of the delta variant.

Revealing sweeping measures to combat the increase in infections, Emmanuel Macron said on Monday evening that vaccination will not be mandatory for the general public at the present time, but stressed that the restrictions will focus on those who have not been vaccinated.

The president said health workers must be vaccinated by September 15 or face consequences.

Stanislas Kneux-Chateau, who heads Doctolib, one of the country’s largest websites used to book vaccine appointments, told RMC Radio there were record numbers seeking vaccines after the president’s announcement.

“Almost a million vaccine appointments have been booked, which means thousands of lives have been saved,” Health Minister Olivier Veran said on BFM TV.

On Monday, Macron said the health permit required to attend large-scale events would now be used more widely, including entry to restaurants, cinemas and theaters.

Long-distance trains and planes will also be required from the start of August, providing an added incentive for people to get the shot as the summer holiday season begins.

The slowdown in vaccination rates and the sharp rise in new infections due to the highly contagious delta variant, now prevalent, has forced the government to rethink its strategy.

“September 15 is too late, the virus is doubling every five days. We’re talking about low numbers that quickly become high. What we want is to avoid a pandemic wave and (get) protection for everyone. We’re not taking that decision lightly.”

After dropping from more than 42,000 per day in mid-April to less than 2,000 per day in late June, the average number of new infections per day in France is back again, now at nearly 4,000 per day.

Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire warned on Franceinfo radio that the only obstacle to France’s 6% economic growth in 2021 would be a slight increase in the spread of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) due to the delta variable.

(Reporting by John Irish, Jean-Stefan Bruce and Benoit van Overstreten; Editing by Raisa Kasulowski)

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