France on verge of 5th COVID wave, Macron urges people to take vaccination as responsibility

Paris: French Health Minister Olivier Veran has warned that the incidents of rising Covid-19 cases across the country could herald the fifth wave of the coronavirus pandemic in France. Speaking in an interview to the TF1 channel, the minister said that cases were "accelerating" in a trend that mimicked other parts of Europe which were also experiencing a resurgence in infections.

"Several neighbouring countries are already in a fifth wave of the Covid epidemic, what we are experiencing in France clearly looks like the beginning of a fifth wave," Veran was quoted as saying by the Reuters news agency in the TF1 interview.

President Emmanuel Macron has urged the six million remaining to be vaccinated to 'take responsibility' for their health and the health of others by getting a shot of the Covid-19 vaccine. Those over 65 would now be required to show proof of a booster jab if they wanted to attend public events, take trains or visit restaurants, Macron said in an address to the press. He also urged people to respect preventative measures like social distancing and wearing masks to prevent the further spread of the disease.

France's health ministry registered as many as 11,883 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, the second day in a row that the new case tally has remained over 10,000. New coronavirus cases have also seen double-digit percentage increases week-on-week since around mid-October.