Covid France: 500,000 people set to spend Christmas in self-isolation

Over 500,000 people are set to be self-isolating on Christmas Day in France this year as daily Covid case numbers continue to increase.

Since December 16, the average number of new Covid cases recorded each day has exceeded 50,000 and yesterday Santé publique reported 84,272 infections across the country.

All of these people will be required to quarantine over Christmas, as government rules state that individuals who test positive for Covid must self-isolate for ten days from the start of their symptoms or from the date of their PCR test if they are asymptomatic.

Read more:Omicron in France: Rules if you are infected or a close contact

While isolating, people with Covid are asked to try to stay away from the people they live with, keeping the door of their room closed, using a separate bathroom if possible and eating meals alone.

If they do have to spend time with their family or housemates, they are told they should wear a mask and maintain a distance of at least two metres.

All contact with vulnerable people such as elderly relatives should be avoided.

This means that anyone who is self-isolating because they have Covid should not take part in any Christmas activities taking place within their household.

Covid-positive people will also be asked to supply details of their contacts from the days preceding their positive test result or the start of their symptoms.

Normally, fully vaccinated people who are identified as close contacts of a Covid case do not have to quarantine but if the case in question relates to the Omicron variant, self-isolation rules always apply.

If the Assurance Maladie gets in touch with you to say that someone you have spent time with has or could have been infected with the Omicron variant, the rules say you must isolate immediately for seven days after the last contact you had with the person. If you live with the person you should isolte until seven days after the person has recovered (equal to 17 days after the first symptoms or the person's positive test).

You must also do an antigen test, and if this is positive, take a PCR to confirm. If it is negative you will also need to take another control test at the end of your isolation period, as is the case with all Covid contacts.

Health Minister Olivier Véran has said that Omicron currently accounts for 20% of all Covid cases, and 35% in Ile-de-France.

Read more:Omicron, boosters, child vaccines: Updates from French health minister

He also stated that “between now and the end of the month, we will go beyond 100,000 infections per day,” and that Omicron will become the dominant variant between Christmas and New Year.

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