French Health Authorities Suggest Third Lockdown Early February

Illustration. (Jakayla Toney / Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The French Health Advisory Scientific Council advised the government to impose a lockdown for the third time. This lockdown can be carried out during school holidays, to anticipate the development of various new variants of the corona virus in France.

"We may need to go into a lockdown. Whether it needs a very tight lockdown like the first in March (2020) or a slightly lax form in November, it is a political decision, "Jean-François Delfraissy, head of the Government's Scientific Advisory Council on COVID-19, told BFM television. reported by Reuters.

In this regard, the French Government itself will only hold a meeting to decide whether or not to take extra action. Decisions need to be taken immediately, given that the development of new variants of the corona virus is increasingly worrying.

He further explained that variants of the corona virus from England, South Africa, Brazil and California, which were said to be more contagious, changed the pandemic situation in the last three weeks.

"If we don't tighten the regulations, we will be in a very difficult situation from mid-March. This new variant is equivalent to the second pandemic, ”said Delfraissy.

Delfraissy revealed, currently the new British variant is already at the 7 percent - 9 percent level in certain areas, especially around Paris. And, the spread is no longer only from immigrants from England, but has been spread by the French themselves.

"However, there is hope from the vaccine. In the three months from early February to the end of April, we will have a quick battle between the arrival of the British variant and vaccinating as many people as possible," he said.

He added that France is predicted to vaccinate 6 million to 8 million people by mid-April. However, he also added that Minister of Health Olivier Veran's estimates that the target of 70 million vaccinations by the end of August could not be realized.

"I think we can vaccinate about 40 percent of the population by the end of the summer, but not more," he concluded.