In France, the daily increase in cases of coronavirus continues to increase — for 24 hours recorded 13 970 new infections. This, reports The Guardian with reference to the Ministry of Health.
According to the publication, this is 9% higher than the previous figure — on Wednesday the country was diagnosed with 12,845 infections of coronavirus.
In addition, 63 more deaths from COVID-19 have been reported in the last 24 hours.
French Health Minister Olivier Veran warned that Paris may introduce a regime of “high availability” and close all bars and restaurants from Monday if the situation over the coming weekend will not change for the better.
“We need a few days to confirm the trend (to accelerate the spread of the virus), but if it is confirmed, we will have no choice but to introduce maximum readiness mode from Monday,” the Western media quote Veran.
“This implies that people in Paris and its surroundings will have to significantly limit social interaction: no more family gatherings, no more evenings outdoors, and complete closure of bars,” he added.
According to health services, there are 259.6 COVID-19 infections per 100,000 Paris residents, while the threshold is 250.
In addition, according to Veran, 30-35% of hospital beds in intensive care wards are occupied by patients with coronavirus, which also exceeds the threshold of 30%.
The minister said that due to the epidemiological situation, next week the high availability regime could be introduced in the cities of Lille, Lyon, Grenoble, Toulouse, and Saint-Etienne.
According to the media, the country’s authorities said they would take all necessary measures to avoid another emergency situation, in connection with which the national quarantine would come into force again.
At the same time, the head of the Ministry of Health noted that due to reports of residents of Marseille about the negative impact of the quarantine on living conditions, it is possible to ease restrictions in the city.
On September 28, in Paris and more than ten other cities of France, new restrictive measures began to operate due to the worsening situation with the coronavirus. In particular, a ban on festive and entertaining events, including wedding ceremonies, festivals, and student parties, came into effect. Bars are prohibited to work from 22:00 pm to 6:00 am. Sports halls and centers located in the premises remain closed.
Subject to strict security measures, cinemas, museums, and theaters continue their work. Pools also remain open to the public.
Last week, the French Minister of Health urged residents to minimize social interaction due to the deteriorating situation with the spread of coronavirus COVID-19. He also called on employers to extend remote work where possible in areas where the threat of coronavirus proliferation is particularly high. These include Bordeaux, Lille, Nice, Paris, and Toulouse.
Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in France, more than 577.5 thousand cases of infection have been diagnosed, the number of deaths from coronavirus exceeds 32 thousand.
