Covid-19: what are the recommendations of the Scientific Council for the end of the year celebrations?

 The Ministry of Health published this Monday, December 13, the opinion of the Scientific Council to deal with Covid-19 during the holiday season. Among its recommendations, the body gave a series of individual and collective measures to be implemented before Christmas. Here's what to remember.

 Limit the number of guests, perform self-tests and ventilate the rooms well

In general, the Scientific Council recommends during family gatherings such as Christmas meals to 'limit the number of participants, to ensure that vulnerable people have received their booster dose, to ventilate the premises regularly, and to perform a self-test the same day or an antigen test the day before or the same day of the event ”.

Regarding screening, the Scientific Council recommends that all participants be tested, "either by a self-test on the same day or by an antigen test, the day before or the same day of the event". Recalling that a self-test costs 5 euros, the body suggests that "the organizers of these festivities could thus very usefully organize the self-test, by buying them and making them available as soon as the participants arrive".

Regarding the ventilation of rooms, the Scientific Council advises to "keep a window or door open for at least 10 minutes per hour or permanently if possible during the event" to reduce the risk of contamination. In addition, the authority encourages the use of a CO2 sensor.

Giving up mass gatherings and canceling corporate events

Faced with the progression of the 5th wave linked to the Delta variant and the emergence of the Omicron variant, the Scientific Council recommends "giving up as much as possible, and at least until the end of the year holidays, to participate, without permanent wearing of a mask, in collective gatherings, parties, receptions, lunches, dinners or evenings". In this sense, the body recommends that "major events that can lead to giant clusters must be avoided".

Regarding administrations, companies, associations, and organizations, the Scientific Council asks to cancel "immediately all events scheduled for December", and to favor teleworking for employees who can. "It would also be important that any employee with symptoms of COVID-19 does not go to work, in doubt," adds the Scientific Council.