The Omicron wave is progressing very quickly in France, a few days before Christmas, with around 20% of positive cases for Covid-19 which now fall within this very contagious variant, against 10% last weekend, the government announced on Tuesday evening, faced with a resumption of the epidemic in the middle of winter.

the incidence rate of Covid-19 reached “once again a record” in France, at 545 cases per week per 100,000 inhabitants and nearly double in Paris.

“The wave that awaits us is high, but we are standing up,” said government spokesman Gabriel Attal. “We have the means, we have the tools, we have the weapons, we have the mobilization that will allow us to cope,” he said.

However, he warned of a “possible need to have to take other measures” in the event of “significant deterioration of the health situation”.

The increase at the national level “seems to be driven by a very strong increase in contaminations among young people, especially 20-40 years”, indicated the spokesperson, inviting them to reduce “as much as possible (the) contacts”, to test yourself at “the slightest doubt”.

Nearly 73,000 positive Covid-19 cases were detected on Monday, “which corresponds to an increase of around 15% compared to the previous Monday,” he added.

Critical care services were still above the threshold of 3,000 patients with Covid-19 on Tuesday, according to figures from health authorities. These services have 3,096 patients, against 3,025 on Monday, when the 3,000 mark was crossed, the highest level since May. The number of deaths since the start of the epidemic has reached 121,946.

But rather than restrictions on travel and activities, the government is counting on vaccination to stem the epidemic rebound.

Vaccination should therefore be open to children aged 5 to 11 from Wednesday. And the executive is drafting a bill, which it intends to pass in mid-January, so that the health pass gives way to a vaccination pass, reserved for fully vaccinated people.

But the government is not currently considering introducing a health pass in the workplace.

Some 78% of the French population received at least one injection 76.4% a complete vaccination schedule. More than 20.5 million booster doses have also been administered.