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Waiters close bars in Paris
AP Photo / Lewis Joly
The new coronavirus continues to spread rapidly in France, the second European country to break the million-case barrier.
Today, the French health authorities announced 33,417 new cases, much more than yesterday (26,771), bringing the total number since the start of the pandemic to 1,198,695 positive samples.
However, the death toll was also tragic, with 523 victims of the virus in the last 24 hours, of which 288 in hospitals and 235 in nursing homes. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the death toll in France has risen to 35,541.
At the same time, more than 2,900 Covid-19 patients are being treated in intensive care units in the country, occupying half of the beds available in France. Compared to yesterday, their number has increased by 148.
The current capacity of these resuscitation and intensive care units – which not only treat patients with Covid – is 5,800 beds, a figure that the authorities plan to increase in the coming days.
In general, the admission of patients to French hospitals continues to increase: almost 19,000 are still hospitalized, around 1,000 of them have been admitted today.
Intensive consultation on additional measures
According to the government spokesman, points of consensus have been found in today’s discussions between the competent authorities and the prime minister. “There is a sensitivity to the issue of schools and access to classrooms,” said Gabriel Atal, but it is inconceivable to everyone that the country’s ICUs can no longer accept patients.
Tomorrow morning there will be a new meeting under the leadership of Emanuel Macron this time and new measures will be discussed because “new measures must be taken,” said Atal, which will be announced tomorrow night by Macron and will be presented at the same time by Prime Minister of Parliament.
“The prime minister was very clear about the measures that could be taken to curb the epidemic, especially the extension of the curfew,” either locally or in general.
