Politician: Macrono’s decision on COVID-19 left the French speechless

Every lovely week, officials in the prime minister’s presidency and administration eagerly awaited data on the scale of the protests. Now, with the country approaching the established goal, at least 50 million. at least one population vaccinated in late summer; most worried people may eventually find it easier to breathe.

“We are already patting each other on the shoulder, although of course we have not yet achieved a satisfactory result, but the progress is gratifying. Macron made a difficult decision and the French expressed confidence in his idea. The protests did not turn into chaos, they were limited to the margins, ”said a government adviser.

Macron’s decision to implement the vaccine passport requirement just before summer break left most speechless.

The COVID-19 Immunity Passport, a digital or paper certificate showing the results of vaccination, immunity, or a negative test, is required to visit cafes, bars, hospitals, museums, galleries, trains, planes, and intercity buses. On Monday, the scheme was expanded to include employees in all public places.

Although the initiative did not initially bring the desired benefits, it was explained to the waiters that they would not have to verify visitor identity documents or vaccination certificates, and most supermarkets would be exempted; the government was soon overwhelmed.

Many people were very unhappy. Every week, protesters took to the streets of Paris, Marseille, and other major cities in the country, and for many reasons. Some protested the vaccines themselves, while others advocated freedom of human choice.

There were others who were simply bullied to the bone by Macron’s policies. Fortunately, the numbers began to decline. About 160,000 people took to the streets last week. people. The week before it was 175,000, and in mid-August the number of protesters exceeded 215,000, according to the French Interior Ministry.

Preliminary comparisons to the yellow vest movement, which did not bring peace to the president in 2018 and 2019, were alarming. Macron’s opponents have also failed to capitalize on public discontent: Marine Le Pen did not want to upset her constituents, whose views on the vaccination certificate differ, and the Socialists decided to support vaccination but not the idea of ​​a vaccination passport.

And at that time, millions of French people were traveling to vaccination centers. According to the French prime minister, 12 million have been vaccinated since Macron announced the entry into force of his passport against the coronavirus. people.

Most doctors believe that it was the coronavirus passport that helped smooth the curve of the pandemic this summer, when the situation began to complicate with the emergence of delta strains and the release of quarantine restrictions.

“It just came to our attention then. The French delayed vaccination and the president came up with a message that people heard. It was the most beautiful moment in crisis management, perhaps even in his entire tenure,” says Martin Blachier, consultant. public health.

So the numbers are inspiring. 83 percent. French people over the age of twelve were vaccinated with at least one vaccine. The number of new cases detected per day fell to 14,000, from about 24,000 in mid-August.

Although the number of patients treated in the intensive care unit increased in August, it seems that 3,000. the boundary is not crossed.

The epidemic is expected to intensify with the return of pupils and students to classes and classrooms in September, but “the risk of cataclysm will be avoided,” says Martin Blachier. According to the expert, if the vaccination scale had stayed where it was before the summer, when less than half of the country’s population was vaccinated with the first dose, hospitals would have more siege, which would put a huge burden on doctors and more. deceased.

Others are less enthusiastic about the vaccine passport.

“It just came to our knowledge then. If you look at the map of France, there are more cases where there are a lot of people gathered in the tourist’s favorite places (and that passport is nowhere to be found)”, says Nicolas Bruder, chief of the intensive care unit of the Hospital Timone in Marseille.

But with the introduction of a passport at his hospital, also with the announcement that vaccinations are mandatory for healthcare workers, vaccination has gained considerable momentum. Already vaccinated more than 70 percent. personal (in June this figure was only 50%).

That alone is important. Defenders of the French decision say the health passport has worked because people, outraged, rushed to get vaccinated. Be that as it may, vaccines protect against serious complications and even death, writes Politico.

“The passport creates a deceptive sense of security because it brings together vaccinated people who can spread the virus and those who tested negative. If people react by starting testing every few days, that passport will have the opposite effect, the epidemic will only gain momentum and even more people will die, ”says Blachier.

Only people reacted differently. “It just came to our attention then. There were people who wanted to introduce compulsory vaccination, but it is very difficult to do so,” explains the government adviser.