The barrier of 1,000 deaths linked to the coronavirus epidemic was crossed in France on Tuesday 24th March 2020. The duration of confinement has still not been officially extended.
The coronavirus epidemic continues to gain momentum this Tuesday, March 24, 2020, while France is preparing an extension of the confinement for several weeks.
Thus, the country counted at the end of the day 22,300 confirmed cases and 1,100 deaths, announced the director general of Health Jérôme Salomon. This means 240 deaths and 2,444 more cases of contamination in 24 hours.
“We have a nationwide epidemic that is still rapidly worsening.”
The 1,000 death mark was therefore crossed on Tuesday, but this figure only takes into account deaths observed in hospitals, which “represents only a small part of the mortality,” said Jérôme Salomon, adding that 85 % of those who died were over 70 years of age.
Deaths in nursing homes not yet taken into account
Deaths occurring in nursing homes are therefore, for the time being, not counted in the balance sheet given each evening. “Daily monitoring of mortality” in these establishments should be implemented “in the next few days,” promised the Director General of Health.
The situation is indeed particularly cruel in retirement homes: 16 deaths in an establishment in Saint-Dizier (Haute-Marne), seven in an Ehpad in Haute-Savoie, 20 in another in the Vosges .
In addition, 10,176 people are hospitalized on Tuesday evening, 2,516 in serious condition in intensive care. More encouraging news: 3,281 people left the hospital cured, not counting all the people cured in town, without having gone through the hospital, the number of which is estimated at 12,000 according to Jérôme Salomon.
All metropolitan regions are affected by the epidemic, with Ile-de-France and Grand Est in the lead.
Coronavirus: le directeur général de la Santé annonce 22.300 cas confirmés en France et 1100 décès, dont 240 en un jour pic.twitter.com/cDOcgxSNHB
— BFMTV (@BFMTV) March 24, 2020
The Director-General of Health said that 9,000 tests are now performed per day, a capacity “which we will increase by another 10,000 by the end of the week”.
And in the world ?
The international situation linked to the Covid-19 pandemic reached a new level this Tuesday, March 24, with more than 400,000 cases of contamination identified worldwide. “The epidemic is almost extinct in China, but there are nearly 325,000 cases outside of China,” said Director-General of Health Jérôme Salomon. 169 countries are affected; Europe is now the epicentre of this epidemic, with more than 200,000 cases and 10,700 deaths.
The United States becomes the third most affected country in the number of cases, after a strong increase. After China, the most affected country is Italy with 69,000 cases, then the United States with 49,000 cases, Spain (39,000) , Germany (32,000) and Iran (24,000 ).
In total, more than 18,000 people died worldwide, Italy being the most bereaved country with 6,820 deaths, followed by Spain with 2,800 deaths and Iran (1934). The number of deaths in Italy is now almost double that recorded in China
Towards confinement until April 28th?
The Minister of Health Olivier Véran had spoken shortly before from the courtyard of the Elysée Palace, alongside Frédérique Vidal, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation Frédérique Vidal at the end of the first meeting of the Research Analysis and Expertise Committee (CARE) , created by Emmanuel Macron to work on tests and treatments in the fight against the coronavirus.
Installation ce jour du comité analyse recherche et expertise (CARE) #Covid19. Essais cliniques, diagnostic et vaccin : la recherche mobilisée autour du Président de la République pour apporter des réponses à la crise sanitaire. pic.twitter.com/mxeOuLZwmo
— Frédérique Vidal (@VidalFrederique) March 24, 2020
Olivier Véran commented on the publication of an opinion delivered by the scientific council on Tuesday, which estimates that the total duration of confinement should last at least six weeks, that is until April 28th. “The Scientific Council decided by giving an estimate, I mean an estimate,” he insisted, calling for caution, without giving more information.
“There are other areas of expertise. We will not know when we can lift the containment until the epidemic curve allows. Containment has a vocation: to protect the French. As long as it has to last, it will last.”
Still, concerning the possible end of confinement, the Minister of Health mentioned several possibilities, such as “general deconfinement or by territory, depending on the epidemic profiles”.
Stricter measures to respect containment
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has unveiled new measures, part of the state of health emergency, to impose confinement, sometimes little respected, on the French.
- No more than a kilometre around your home
Sports outings, outings with children and animal walks and walks with the only people gathered in the same home, are now limited to a radius of one kilometre around your home, at most for one hour, once a day.
#CORONAVIRUS #COVID19 | Dès le 24 mars, les conditions de déplacement sont précisées.
Concernant les sorties pour s’aérer ou faire du sport :
° 1 sortie par jour
° 1 heure maximum
° À moins d’1 km de son domicileVous devez préciser l’heure de sortie sur votre attestation pic.twitter.com/g5PqSoEf9B
— Gouvernement (@gouvernementFR) March 24, 2020
- More supervised trips to a health professional
To go to a scheduled treatment appointment, you will need a doctor’s certificate.
- All prohibited markets
The holding of markets, whether covered or not, is now prohibited. The prefect may, however, after consulting the mayor, grant an authorization to open.
- Funeral limited to 20 people
Funeral ceremonies remain authorized, but up to a maximum of 20 people.
- Tougher penalties
In the event of non-compliance with the containment measures, the fine is 135 euros. It will drop to 1,500 euros in the event of a repeat offence within 15 days, and to 3,700 euros and six months in prison in connection with “four violations within 30 days”.
Chloroquine framed
On the treatment side, a European clinical trial started on Sunday in at least seven countries for four experimental treatments.
Regarding chloroquine, one of these tested treatments which are controversial, it can be administered to patients suffering from “severe forms” of the coronavirus, but should not be used for “less severe” forms, declared on Monday the High Council public health, according to the Minister of Health.
The scientific committee “excludes any prescription” for “non-severe forms” of the disease, in the absence of any convincing data.
#Chloroquine : “J’ai reçu hier les recommandations du haut conseil de santé publique qui dit ‘nous n’avons pas les preuves de l’efficacité de l’hydroxychloroquine ou d’autres traitements’ il est donc dangereux de donner ces médicaments”, précise @olivierveran.#DirectAN pic.twitter.com/Gmi36HSxMO
— LCP (@LCP) March 24, 2020
730,000 partially unemployed workers
The Minister of Economy Bruno Le Maire indicated on Franceinfo that the use of short-time working in France already concerned 730,000 workers “after only a few days” of setting up an expanded system, at a cost of 2.2 billion euros.
Coronavirus : 730 000 salariés sont actuellement au chômage partiel, affirme Bruno Le Mairehttps://t.co/Z18LLBVHoJ pic.twitter.com/UPNHeNpQDH
— franceinfo (@franceinfo) March 24, 2020
Curfews in around 30 cities
In total, the mayors of more than thirty cities have implemented a curfew, such as in Nice, Valence, La Roche-sur-Yon, Mulhouse, Compiègne, Perpignan, Charleville-Mézières.
⚠️ #Coronavirus / #Covid19
❌ Un couvre-feu est mis en place tous les jours de 22h à 5h sur l’ensemble du département. Les seules exceptions concernent les personnels essentiels ainsi que pour raisons professionnelles ou médicales.
Informations ➡️ https://t.co/0ibSg5JPvs pic.twitter.com/HvKVJ0Bxqf
— Ville de Nice (@VilledeNice) March 24, 2020
The sale of alcohol prohibited in Aisne… then authorized
For the first time in France, the prefect of Aisne has decided to ban the sale of alcohol throughout the department.
After being advised by addictologists, the prefect finally waived this ban.
Technical inspection valid for three additional months
If the centres of the control technique approved by the authorities are authorized to remain open, the government announced a new measure: a tolerance of three months will be granted for the owners of light vehicles and 15 days for those of heavy vehicles.
Coronavirus takes Manu Dibango
Saxophonist Manu Dibango died on Tuesday of the covid-19 sequel, his family said. He was 86 years old.
#Coronavirus : le saxophoniste #ManuDibango est mort des suites du Covid-19 https://t.co/IlKs3wz0P7 via @actufr
— actu.fr (@actufr) March 24, 2020
Tokyo Olympics postponed
After several days of suspense, the Tokyo Olympic Games scheduled for this summer are officially postponed to 2021 . The International Olympic Committee and the Japanese Prime Minister agreed, “in order to safeguard the health of athletes and all those involved in the Olympic Games as well as the international community”.
It is the first time that such a decision has been taken since the Games began in 1896, those of 1916, 1940 and 1944 having been cancelled due to world conflicts.
Record deaths in Spain
The second most affected country in Europe, Spain recorded a new record of deaths from coronavirus in 24 hours with 514 additional deaths between Monday 23 and Tuesday 24 March 2020, which brings the total toll to 2,696 deaths.
Towards the end of confinement in Wuhan, the cradle of the coronavirus
The Chinese province of Hubei is preparing to lift its quarantine. Residents of Wuhan, a city at the heart of the epidemic and under house arrest since the end of January, will have to wait until April 8, authorities announced on Tuesday.
