France aims to have vaccinated at least 10 million people by mid-April, 20 million by mid-May and a total of 30 million by the summer, prime minister Jean Castex said on Thursday, reports FRANCE 24.
Castex said that so far 3.2 million people have been vaccinated, including 1.8 million who have received two doses.
The prime minister told a weekly Covid-19 news conference that more than 60 percent of all new coronavirus infections registered in France are linked to the variant first detected in Britain. He said a weekend lockdown would be imposed in the northern Pas-de-Calais department, following similar lockdowns around Nice and Dunkirk.
"The circulation of the virus has accelerated over the past two weeks and that is clearly linked to the UK variant," Castex said.
While the virus is not rising exponentially, the health system remains under massive pressure, he added.