We made an error on Covid masks, says France鈥檚 former health minister
Olivier V茅ran has discussed the behind-the-scenes details of the government鈥檚 Covid response as he publishes a book, saying it is 鈥榓n opportunity to apologise鈥�
The French government 鈥渨as wrong鈥� with regards to its facemask policy at the beginning of the Covid pandemic in March 2020, the former health minister has said in a new book.
Olivier V茅ran has said that his book Par-del脿 les vagues (Beyond the Waves) 鈥� published this week 鈥� is an 鈥渙pportunity to apologise鈥� for errors made in France鈥檚 handling of coronavirus.
Mr V茅ran is now the government鈥檚 official spokesperson, but was health minister from February 2020 until this May.
As the first Covid wave began to pick up pace in March 2020, the government and its health authorities decided that extending mask-wearing measures to the whole population would be 鈥渦seless鈥� in preventing virus spread.
The then-Prime Minister 脡douard Philippe had also said: 鈥淲earing a mask is pointless within the population on the street. And it is inconvenient: it takes masks from those who really need them.鈥�
At the same time, France was experiencing a mask shortage, with stocks having dropped from nearly two billion units (including both surgical and FFP2 masks) in 2009 to 100 million just before the pandemic began.
鈥淎 section of public opinion reproached us saying we knowingly lied about masks to hide the shortage,鈥� Mr V茅ran said, adding that 鈥渢his was not the case,鈥� during an interview with yesterday (September 7).
鈥淭he truth was that on masks, we were wrong, that鈥檚 all there is to it. Us, the World Health Organisation, international health authorities. In good faith of course, but we were wrong.鈥�
He added that some of the government鈥檚 Covid measures could have appeared 鈥渁bsurd鈥� to the public.
鈥淔or example, when we opened restaurant terraces requiring flower pots or plexiglass panels to separate tables.
鈥淏ut I also observed that some neighbouring [countries] who labelled us 鈥楢bsurdistan鈥� then followed our lead in the majority of cases.鈥�
鈥楤耻谤苍辞耻迟鈥�
Mr V茅ran also said that on the evening that France鈥檚 first Covid lockdown was announced, he wrote down his feelings to 鈥渞emember the emotion of the moment later on鈥�, without imagining how serious or lasting the crisis would become.
He also talked about his experience of burnout, saying that by the end of the first Covid wave 鈥淚 was dizzy, really nauseous鈥�, that he was sleeping 鈥渇or three hours each night鈥�, skipping meals and under a 鈥減ermanent stress鈥�.
Mr V茅ran said he needed 鈥渁uthorisation鈥� from President Emmanuel Macron before beginning to write his book, but added: 鈥淓ven if the story relates the collective work done by a team of which I was a part and of which the president is the leader, this book is very personal.鈥�
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