France has recorded 18,000 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours — more than double the figure from just a week ago, according to the country's Health Minister Olivier Véran. He told French lawmakers on Tuesday afternoon that "we were yesterday at 18,000 contaminations over 24 hours only" when fewer than 7,000 were observed a week ago. Health authority Santé Publique France is set to release the final number later on Tuesday. Véran attributed the rise to the Delta variant, which was first detected in India. The decrease, which took place as the country was easing restrictions, was largely attributed to the vaccination campaign and Véran urged people to get jabbed to derail the new surge of cases. "We have a weapon, vaccination," he said. "The time for doubt and hesitation is over, the time for collective immunity is now, it's a collective responsibility and it's the only way we have (...) to get rid of COVID once and for all." The government currently estimates that it will reach its target of 40 million primo-vaccinations by the end of July — a month earlier than its initial schedule. More than 37.8 million people have received at least one dose of the vaccine against COVID-19 and 30.7 million are considered fully vaccinated. Vaccinations have accelerated in recent days after slowing down towards the end of June after President Emmanuel Macron announced that the COVID heath pass — which attests people have either been full vaccinated, have recovered from the disease or recently tested negative — would be required to visit bars, restaurants, cultural venues and on public transport for long-distance travel come early August. He also said that testing, until now free, would only remain so for people who present symptoms and people who get tested to travel or visit bars, restaurants and other venues, will have to pay.
