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Coronavirus pandemic
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France has reported a record daily increase in coronavirus cases as the country struggles to contain a new surge in infections.
On Saturday, health authorities said there were 10,561 new cases, an increase of more than 1,000 from Friday’s figures.
The number of people admitted to hospitals and intensive care is also increasing.
A group of doctors has urged people to avoid private meetings amid the new outbreak.
“After the joy of meeting this summer, it is time to be careful in the private world,” the doctors said in a column published in Le Journal du Dimanche on Sunday.
“The smaller a room is, the more people it contains, the less airy it is, the more risks increase.”
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France is one of several European countries that has seen an increase in new cases.
As authorities across the continent eased the strict lockdowns imposed in March to address the outbreak, new cases began to rise in June and increased significantly in the last month.
What’s the latest in France?
Saturday’s figures reported 2,432 people sent to the hospital, 75 more than on Friday. Of these, 417 were sent to intensive care, an increase of 28.
Another 17 people died from the virus. France has recorded more than 30,000 deaths since the pandemic began, the seventh highest total in the world.
image copyrightReutersOfficials have now designated 42 regions as “red zones,” where virus circulation is active and where stricter mask requirements and collection restrictions are in effect.
This includes Paris, Lyon, and almost the entire Mediterranean coast.
Prime Minister Jean Castex, who recently tested negative after possible exposure to the virus, asked local authorities in Bordeaux, Marseille and the island of Guadeloupe to suggest “a set of additional new measures” on Monday to contain the spread.
Meanwhile, the Tour de France organizers have prohibited spectators from starting and finishing stages that pass through the red zones.
What is the situation in other parts of Europe?
Several other European countries are tackling new outbreaks.
On Sunday, the Czech Republic posted a record daily increase for the third day in a row, with 1,541 new infections. Neighboring countries have begun restricting the entry of Czechs, and Germany announced that it would require a negative test for arrivals from Prague on Wednesday.
Spain also posted its biggest daily increase on Thursday, with 10,764 new infections, although the Health Ministry said new cases were “stabilizing.” The country has the highest number of cases in Europe.
Princess Leonor, the 14-year-old heir to the Spanish throne, was placed in quarantine after one of her classmates tested positive for Covid-19. She and other students from the Santa María de los Rosales school in Madrid will be evaluated.
