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▫️The Prime Minister and Olivier Véran spoke at the end of an extraordinary Defence Council and Council of Ministers. Here is a summary of what was announced yesterday evening.

🦠 No curfew on New Year’s Eve

Free movement on New Year’s Eve. Although the sale of alcohol and food is prohibited on the public highway on Friday 31 December, New Year’s Eve will not be subject to a curfew. “Let’s limit big parties and big dinners,” the Prime Minister urged.

🦠 School starts on 3 January

Sacrificing the education of the youngest. Presented as a “last resort”, the temporary closure of schools – demanded by some carers and members of the opposition – is not on the agenda: the start of the school year will therefore be maintained on 3 January.

🦠 Towards reduced isolation for vaccinated contact cases

Avoiding “paralysis” and “disorganisation”. While, as things stand, isolation periods for contact cases can be up to 17 days, this period could be reduced to “put less strain on vaccinated people”. In the absence of sufficient evidence at this stage, this decision will be clarified by the end of the week.

🦠 Vaccine booster delay reduced to three months after the last dose from tomorrow

The health authorities have been heard. While the various authorities concerned have all given the green light, the booster vaccination period will be reduced to three months after the last dose, starting this Tuesday morning.

🦠 Fourth dose “is a possibility

Could people over 65, who already received a third dose in September, receive a new booster dose soon, as is already the case in Israel in particular? “This is a possibility,” said the Health Minister, affirming that “if a new dose of vaccine is necessary to protect the most fragile, we will do it.

🦠 Increased telework at the beginning of the school year, 3 to 4 days mandatory for three weeks

Avoiding unnecessary population shuffling. Telework, which has been optional for several months, will be imposed again from the beginning of the school year, with three to four compulsory days per week, for at least three weeks.

🦠 Return of the mask “in all city centres” where prefects and mayors consider it useful

A symbol more than anything else. Contrary to the doctrine of recent weeks, the wearing of masks will be “extended and better respected in all city centres” where prefects and mayors deem it useful.

🦠 Outdoor gatherings limited to 5,000 people, as opposed to 2,000 indoors

The return of the gauges. The capacity of large gatherings will be considerably reduced, “from next Monday” and for three weeks: they will be limited to 5000 people outdoors, as opposed to 2000 indoors.

🦠 No gauge for political rallies or religious activities

Will the campaign have to be conducted without meetings? Recalling that political activities – like religious activities – had “specific provisions in our constitutional law”, Jean Castex said that a commission “involving all political parties” would be set up at the beginning of 2022 to define “rules” that would be “protective” in terms of health while taking “account of this fundamental specificity” of the exercise of democracy in the run-up to a presidential election.

🦠 No more eating in gyms, cultural venues and transport

Limiting socialising. From Monday, and for at least three weeks, food and drink will be banned in sports halls, cultural venues – cinemas and theatres – and on transport, “including long-distance transport”.

🦠 Bars and cafés remain open, provided one is seated and no longer standing

They were worried, but now they can rest easy. If they remain open, bars and cafés will have to stop serving drinks at the counter and only serve customers who are seated. This measure will apply from Monday, and for at least three weeks.

🦠 Stand-up concerts to end on Monday, for at least three weeks

Reducing the risk of large-scale festivities. In order to avoid as much as possible the creation of clusters, the executive has decided to ban “stand-up concerts” as of Monday and for at least three weeks.

🦠 Transforming the health pass into a vaccination pass: green light from the government

Transforming the health pass into a vaccination pass. As expected, the bill to strengthen the “green passport” has been “adopted” by the Council of Ministers. If it is quickly voted by the Parliament, the text will apply from 15 January next.

🦠 “Increased sanctions” against holders of false passes

The war on fraudsters. Jean Castex warned that there would be “an increase in sanctions against false health passes”, without however going into detail. For the Prime Minister, this kind of deviation represents “much more than a circumvention of the law”, but rather “a deliberate act of endangerment”. “This is not acceptable,” he warned.

▫️ HEALTH SITUATION

✏️ FRANCE 🇫🇷

Daily summarz update on the Covid-19 epidemic in France, with figures from Santé Publique France and the Ministry of Health.

CONTAMINATIONS

On Monday 27 December, 30,383 new cases of Covid-19 were recorded in 24 hours.

The rate of positive tests was 8.2% on Sunday.

HOSPITALISATIONS

There are currently 16,921 Covid-19 patients hospitalised (+1,244 in 24 hours), including 3,333 in intensive care (+271 in 24 hours).

DEATHS

In 24 hours, 166 people died of Covid-19 in hospital. The total number of deaths since the beginning of the epidemic is 122,898, including deaths in hospitals and nursing homes.

VACCINATION

Since the beginning of the vaccination campaign in France, 52,722,023 people have received at least one injection, i.e. 91% of French people over the age of 12 (figures dated 26 December).

✏️ REGIONAL / AUDE

The incidence rate has reached its highest and stands at an incredible 671,04.

▫️ SAYINGS of the week

▫️ CAR OF THE WEEK

This new electric car will be one of the fastest in the world. China’s NextEV has unveiled its electric car range in London. The company is proud of its supercar that achieved a milestone on the German Nurburgring Nordschleife race track. The vehicle finished the 12.9 mile track in just 7 minutes and 5 seconds.

▫️ MUSIC

Only my German friends and in particular northern Germany will appreciate that one.

🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶

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