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FRance must remain vigilant as more people will be hospitalized in intensive care units in the next two weeks, reflecting an outbreak of Covid-19 infections in recent days, Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Saturday.
However, Veran dismissed the need for a new nationwide lockdown, telling BFM television that France had other means to combat the virus, including testing.
“I can’t imagine a general blockage. The blockage was the lid of an overflowing pot,” he said.
Health authorities reported 8,975 new confirmed cases on Friday, almost 1,500 more than the previous daily peak of 7,578 on March 31, when France was in one of the strictest coronavirus lockdowns in Europe.
The death toll in France was 30,686 as of Friday.
Since the rise in infections has mainly affected young people, who are less likely to develop complications, there has been less stress so far in French hospitals, which were almost overwhelmed at the end of March.
But after falling steadily for months after an April 14 high of 32,292, the number of people hospitalized rose by 28 on Friday to 4,671, increasing for the sixth day in a row.
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