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HEALTH

French hospitals ‘under pressure from Covid until March’ warn scientists

France's Covid-19 Scientific Council warned on Thursday that hospitals would remain under pressure until mid-March at the earliest as school class closures topped 18,000.

Published: 21 January 2022 09:50 CET
A French health worker performs an antigen test.
A French health worker performs an antigen test. As the government plans on relaxing Covid restrictions, scientists are concerned. (Photo by Philippe LOPEZ / AFP)

The French Prime Minister, Jean Castex, laid out a timeline for the easing of Covid rules on Thursday evening.

The earliest changes come on February 2nd, when face masks will no longer be required outdoors, venue capacity limits will be scrapped and working from home three days per week will no longer be compulsory. 

READ MORE Calendar: When is France lifting Covid restrictions?

On the same day that Castex made his announcements, France’s Scientific Council on Covid-19, an independent body that advises the government warned that the fifth wave has the potential to cause problems in the national health system until mid-March at the earliest.

“The health system will remain under very high pressure for many weeks, in particular in the south of France,” wrote the Council in a report updated on Thursday. 

It warned of the potential ill-effects of delayed surgeries and other treatments because of beds occupied by Covid patients. 

The continued functioning of the health system in France is dependent, according the the Council, on “the reduction of social contact and the continued practice of barrier gestures in the coming weeks.”

READ MORE ANALYSIS: How dangerous are France’s sky-high Covid rates?

The Council estimates that between 9-14 million people in France have been infected with Omicron. It said that continued high infection rates could be linked to the reopening of schools after the Christmas holidays and urged for the current testing regime to be maintained. 

On Thursday the government expanded the number of professionals authorised to carry out Covid tests to include: speech therapists, chiropodists, orthoptists, medical physicists, occupational therapists, audioprosthesists, veterinarians and a host of others.

Covid case numbers in France remain exceptionally high, with more than 400,000 new daily cases recorded in the three days leading up to the government’s announcements on Thursday evening. On Monday alone some 525,000 positive cases were reported.

On Friday morning 18,786 classes in schools remained closed due to Covid-19 – a new record representing some 3.56 percent of all classes in France 

The conversion of the health pass into a vaccine pass on January 24th will mean that negative Covid tests will no longer be sufficient for people who want to access venues currently subject to the health pass.

READ ALSO What changes when France’s health pass becomes a vaccine pass?

The government hopes the move will drive up vaccination rates further and add some level of protection against falling seriously ill with Covid. 

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CYCLING

Why you should take up cycling in France in May

'Mai à vélo' is a month-long, government-backed scheme intended to encourage people in France to choose cycling over other modes of transportation.

Published: 16 April 2024 11:42 CEST
Why you should take up cycling in France in May

In hopes of getting more people to cycle, the ‘Mai à vélo’ will offer thousands of cycling events and ‘challenges’ across France from May 1st to 31st.

The scheme began in 2020 and has been supported by the French ministries of environment and sports, with the goal of encouraging carbon-free forms of transportation.

In 2023, there were over 4,000 Mai à vélo events, with over 100,000 people participating in the activity challenges.

What types of events will there be?

From workshops to learn how to repair your own bicycle to group rides and bicycle exchanges, there will be plenty of different types of events across the country. 

They can be hosted by schools, businesses, local authorities, associations and even just groups of friends. 

If you are interested in hosting your own event, you will first need to make an account and register your plans. 

To find events near you, check out the interactive ‘Mai à vélo’ map.

Screenshot from the Mai à vélo website

Cycling on the rise

France, and particularly the city of Paris, have invested more into bike lanes over the last few years.

The study by the Institut Paris Region, an urban planning agency, found that more Parisians were opting for bicycles (accounting for 11.2 percent of trips) than cars (4.3 percent of trips). 

READ MORE: How France will splash another €250 million on national ‘bike plan’

Walking was still the most common option (53.5 percent), followed by public transport at 30 percent.

Nevertheless – Paris launched its first ‘plan vélo’ in 2015 and its second phase started in 2021, with a budget of €180 million and the goal of making France’s capital ‘100 percent bicycle-friendly by 2026’.

On top of that, during the 2024 Olympic Games, the city will offer over 415 kilometres of bicycle lanes, plus thousands of new parking stations across the city and nearby Games venues. You can download the map of bicycle lanes on the Anticiper les jeux website.

Grants for purchasing a bicycle in France

The French government opted to extend their bonus vélo grant to 2027, in an effort to encourage non-polluting transport options.

Previously, the aid was only available to those buying new bikes, but in 2024 authorities opened it up to second-hand bicycles under certain conditions.

While it is means-tested, the financial aid is open to non-French nationals (though you must be resident in France and have a tax number in order to access the grants).

Depending on your financial situation and the bicycle you want to purchase, you may be eligible for assistance varying between €150 and €2,000.

If eligible, you can use it for plenty of different types of bicycles – from standard and electric bikes to cargo bikes, plus those adapted for people with disabilities.

READ MORE: Explained: The financial aid to buy a bike in France

Where should I cycle in France?

If affordable bicycles and fun events are not enough to entice you, perhaps you will be convinced by the dozens of beautiful bicycle routes criss-crossing the country and the warm, spring weather.

For example – you might consider the ‘Voie des Vignes’ cycle path which goes from Beaune to Santenay to Nolay.

The 22km Voie des Vignes (Way of the Vines) meanders its gentle way along vineyard paths, crossing the Unesco World Heritage-listed Climats of Burgundy.

There is also the Vallée du Loir cycle path, which is a 330 km track (the V47) that starts at the source of the river between Beauce and Perche and ends of the banks of Loire at Angers, passing by a fair share of castles.

READ MORE: 13 of France’s best hiking and cycling routes

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