Castex announces the suspension of all flights between France and Brazil

Paris has decided to suspend « until further notice » all flights between Brazil and France because of concerns around the Brazilian variant of Covid-19, Prime Minister Jean Castex announced to deputies on Tuesday.

« We see the situation getting worse. » Jean Castex decided and decided to suspend « until further notice all flights between Brazil and France ». The Prime Minister spoke on the subject, during questions to the government in the National Assembly, this Tuesday, April 13.

The Brazilian variant is the object of all concerns in France: Jean Castex announced Tuesday afternoon to the deputies the immediate suspension of all flights with Brazil until « further notice ». This measure was demanded by many members of the opposition. « Closing the borders is useful and absolutely necessary and I do not see how, when we confine the French, we can maintain this air link, » said Damien Abad, president of the Les Républicains group in the National Assembly.

With more than 66,000 deaths recorded in March, Brazil is now the third country most affected by the pandemic after the United States and India. The variant of Covid-19 that has appeared in the country, named P.1, considered to be more transmissible and more resistant to vaccines according to a study by the Brazilian Association of Intensive Care (AMIB) unveiled on Sunday April 11, is now in the majority.

The number 2 of the National Gathering Jordan Bardella estimated that « the government lets in 1,000 passengers per week from Brazil, where the epidemic is out of control with a resistant variant ». “After all that our country has undergone, and while we continue to lock up the French, how is this madness still possible?” He asked himself.

US health officials on Tuesday recommended « a pause » in the use of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine to investigate the occurrence of severe cases of blood clots in several people. The US Medicines Agency (FDA) « is investigating six reported cases in the United States of people who developed severe cases of blood clots after receiving the vaccine, » she said in a statement. . The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the country’s leading federal public health agency, will meet on Wednesday to assess these cases. The US drug agency will then review their findings.

On Monday, the Minister for Transport Jean-Baptiste Djebbari explained that France had « kept a few lines » with Brazil, justifying the maintenance of air links by respecting the law, the Council of State having arranged that French nationals « in the name of freedom of movement, should be able to continue to come ».

Senators call for a tailor-made reopening of cultural venues

A Senate fact-finding mission on Tuesday recommends a tailor-made restart of most cultural places from the end of confinement. « It is possible to resume a lot of cultural activities without making the population take health risks », declared the president of this fact-finding mission, Bernard Jomier (socialist related), presenting his conclusions to the press. « The closure of many establishments does not appear to be based on the health plan », and keeping them closed is « an unjustified sanction », added one of the rapporteurs, Roger Karoutchi (LR).

These senators believe that « museums and monuments, cinemas and performance halls in seated format could be the first authorized to reopen gradually ». They offer a tailor-made reopening, with the authorization of the prefect in collaboration with local elected officials.

The Brazilian variant is of concern to doctors and scientists, especially because of its greater resistance to existing vaccines against the coronavirus. Specialists speak of « immune escape »: « Clearly, while we know that vaccination works very well on the English mutant, we see a loss of protection with the Brazilian and South African variants », explains in Le Parisien virologist Bruno Lina, member of the scientific council.

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Gabriel MIHAI

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