French government calls for ‘massive’ vaccination as cases resurge

“After several months of decline, the epidemic is once again gaining ground in our country”, government spokesperson Gabriel Attal told the press after the weekly Council of ministers on Wednesday, adding that only “massive” vaccination could prevent a fourth wave from hitting the country.

With 40% of the new COVID-19 cases now being of the new Delta variant, the incidence rate is now rapidly on the rise again after have slowed at the end of June.

In 11 of France’s 16 regions, numbers are rising, with pandemic dynamics are “particularly strong” in the capital’s Ile-de-France region, the Mediterranean south-east (Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur) and north-western Atlantic region Bretagne, the government spokesman added.

But while the situation in hospitals continues to improve, Attal warned reporters that a fourth wave could arrive sooner than expected due to the “fearsome” and “extremely rapid” Delta variant, which according to the government spokesperson could end up “spoiling the summer”.