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France ramps up weekend COVID-19 vaccinations after slow start

Europe Materials 8 March 2021 04:25 (UTC +04:00)
France ramps up weekend COVID-19 vaccinations after slow start

French authorities have come under criticism for the slow vaccination rollout, which has so far targeted the most vulnerable only. About 3.58 million people of France’s 67 million population have received a first jab compared to neighbouring Britain, which is nearing 23 million, Trend reports citing Reuters.

While some European countries have resorted to sweeping national lockdowns to fight a resurgence in the virus spurred by new variants, France has opted for a less severe nightly curfew and the closure of bars, restaurants and entertainment venues.

The country continues to see cases rise, averaging about 23,000 new cases a day compared with just over 6,000 in Britain, while intensive care units are increasingly saturated.

Needing to vaccinate 200,000 people a day to reach its targets, it’s not clear whether the government will get enough doses to have a quick enough impact to avoid a new lockdown.

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