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Like several other heavily affected European countries, France decided to shut down society at the start of the crown pandemic and the population was forced to stay home.
When the restrictions were lifted on May 11, the spread of the infection had slowed. But as the country has opened restaurants, shopping malls and museums, the number of confirmed cases has increased.
At the end of June, around 500 new cases were reported daily, a figure that had doubled a month later. By mid-August, it had reached 2,000, according to Reuters.
On Friday it was reported 7,379 new COVID-19 cases in France, the highest number since the shutdown ended. It is also not far from the country’s peak, since March 31 with 7,678 cases.
The country’s Health Ministry describes the development of the spread of the infection as an exponential increase, according to Reuters.
However, so far, the increase in cases has not created a greater burden on medical care or a sharp increase in death rates. The spread of the infection occurs mainly among younger people who are at less risk of developing severe symptoms of the virus, according to French authorities.
4,535 people with covid-19 are treated in hospitals and 387 in the intensive care unit in France.
At the same time, the return remains to school just around the corner for the country’s students. On Tuesday, more than 12 million children will sit at school desks again, for many it is the first time in five months. The reopening has been seen as a great step towards the normal situation of society.
But according to Reuters, the recent spread of the infection has increased the likelihood that the French government will shut down the company again. At the same time, President Emmanuel Macron wants to avoid similar restrictions as much as possible this spring.
French authorities are now trying to find ways to limit the spread of the infection. Starting Friday, Parisians must wear mouth guards when outdoors in the capital.
“We are doing everything possible to avoid a new shutdown, especially a national one,” President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday.
However, he added that it would be dangerous to exclude the alternative.
A total of 267,077 people have been found infected in France. Another 20 people died on Friday. A total of 30,596 have died.
Read more: Concerns about “a second wave” in southern Europe
Read more: Increased spread of infection in France: thousands of British tourists affected by quarantine demands
