“Thanks to containment, as in March, the virus has started to circulate less. For ten consecutive days, the number of new Covid-19 diagnoses has been decreasing, the test positivity rate and the incidence rate have been falling,” Véran said in an interview with a group of regional newspapers. “We are regaining control of the pandemic, which is good news,” he added.
“But we have not yet conquered the virus. (...) Clearly, it is too early to claim victory and relax our efforts.”
Despite a lower reliability than that of PCR tests, the minister said rapid antigen tests could soon be in place to increase the country’s testing capacity. “A negative result is not 100% reliable, and can be confirmed in the laboratory in case of symptoms,” he explained.
Véran continued: “Note that most scientists believe that a negative antigen test in an asymptomatic person would imply a low viral load. The risk of you being contagious would therefore be lower.”
Regarding the expected arrival of a vaccine, the minister declared that a “vaccination campaign will not begin until we have all the guarantees to safely vaccinate the population.”
“If we have several vaccines, we will choose those which to us seem the safest and the most effective,” Véran affirmed, counting on the possibility that “by the beginning of next year, three or four laboratories could (...) apply for a marketing authorisation.”
