France have announced a 4th dose of vaccine for those above 80, as the government confirms the lifting of restrictions on Monday.
According to the report by Le Parisien, French Prime Minister Jean Castex announced on Saturday the opening of the 4th dose of vaccine “to those over 80 who have received their booster dose for more than three months”, in the face of the slight rebound in the Covid epidemic.
While confirming the lifting of restrictions on Monday, including the end of the vaccination pass and the almost total end of the mask, the Prime Minister said he strongly recommended “to people who are fragile because of their age or their pathologies to maintain the wearing of the mask in the closed places and in large gatherings.
Conceding that there was currently a “recovery of cases”, Jean Castex however ruled out “changing strategy”, while most restrictions must be lifted on Monday, such as the vaccine pass.
“The scientific council, which I have requested, tells us that it is above all the BA2 sub-variant which is at the origin of this” epidemic rebound.
“The improvement in the hospital and our high vaccination coverage lead us to maintain the lifting of the measures”, he pleaded, even if certain conditions fixed for the abolition of the restrictions are not met (no progression of epidemic, less than 1,500 people in intensive care with Covid).
The Prime Minister said he wanted to “support the most vulnerable people”. In this sense, “we will now open the fourth dose to those over 80 who have received their booster dose for more than three months, who are facing a gradual loss of immunity”, he said.
On Monday, the vaccination pass, which requires being vaccinated against Covid to access many places, will be lifted even if its “health” version, which also works with a negative test for the virus, will be maintained in health establishments at broad meaning: hospitals, nursing homes.
The mask will no longer be compulsory, with the exception of transport and, again, health establishments. This relief concerns in particular schools, shops and businesses, which will keep the choice of whether or not to impose it on their employees. Cinemas, restaurants or museums were no longer subject to this obligation since the end of February.