Health authorities have estimated that the peak of the coronavirus epidemic in France is expected within five to eight days. Will this extend the confinement period.
The wave is sweeping over France. On the fourth day of confinement, France now has 12,612 cases positive for the coronavirus. Among these people, 5,226 are hospitalized, including 1,297 in intensive care.
French health authorities deplore the death of 450 people. The vast majority of deaths (87%) involve people over the age of 70.
“In France, we are faced with an epidemic that is gradually spreading and worsening rapidly with intense viral circulation,” said Jérôme Salomon, the Director-General of Health, recalling the essential respect for social distancing measures and ” barrier gestures “to” mitigate [and] offset the effects of this wave as much as possible “.
The peak of the epidemic is also expected ” within five to eight days, ” he said.
🔴 DIRECT | #Coronavirus #Covid19
Suivez le point de situation épidémiologique du vendredi 20 mars🎙 Par le Pr Jérôme Salomon, Directeur général de la Santé. https://t.co/DTu4HxYfw2
— Ministère des Solidarités et de la Santé (@MinSoliSante) March 20, 2020
Seven French regions are particularly affected : Corsica, Grand-Est, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Île-de-France, Hauts-de -France and, for the first time, New Aquitaine.
157 referral establishments welcome coronavirus patients and the deployment of a military hospital is expected shortly in the Mulhouse region , one of the major foci of the virus in France.
What results abroad?
Health authorities now count 250,000 positive cases and 11,000 deaths worldwide. 163 countries are affected.
Italy remains the country most affected by the epidemic, with 4,032 deaths and nearly 41,000 confirmed cases .
Tests are no longer systematic
In France as elsewhere, the number of confirmed cases follows an exponential growth . It is nevertheless difficult to know the exact extent of the pandemic in the country, since the screenings are no longer systematic since the transition to stage 3 of the health alert.
Now, only the most serious cases, people at risk and caregivers are tested as a priority.
The number of confirmed cases in France since the start of the epidemic:
The night of Emmanuel Macron’s first speech, Thursday 12th March, the number of confirmed cases was 2,876. This Friday March 20, he passed the 12,600 mark.
The number of deaths since the start of the epidemic in France:
Concerning the deaths, on the same date (March 12), 61 people had succumbed to Covid-19. This Friday evening, the authorities count 450 dead.
The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in regions:
The state of health emergency soon voted
After the deputies, the senators voted at first reading this Friday afternoon the establishment of a state of health emergency . These three measures to support the economy are included in this bill, which will be declared by decree after its adoption.
- The organization of the postponement of the second round of municipal, community elections, councillors from Paris and metropolitan councillors from Lyon;
- the establishment of a state of health emergency system;
- the adoption of economic emergency measures and of adaptation to the fight against the epidemic.
After the Assembly, the Senate adopted at first reading the bill allowing the establishment of a state of health emergency, accompanied by measures to support the economy, which should be hit hard, with a recession of 1% of GDP in 2020 and the public deficit of 3.9%.
The goal is the final adoption before the end of the week.
The government decided in extremis to postpone the meetings of municipal councils elected in the first round, scheduled from Friday to Sunday to appoint mayors.
But he insists that certain economic activities continue, despite the fears of employees or professionals in certain sectors, such as at Amazon or in construction.
The Macron bonus for going to work
The Minister of Economy Bruno Le Marie called on companies to pay a tax-free bonus to their employees, especially those who “had the courage to go to their place of work” in essential sectors (food, transport, etc.). He also calmed the tone with the building sector on the need or not to interrupt the construction sites.
France must also organize the return of approximately 130,000 nationals stranded abroad, generally for holidays.
Containment to be extended
France is only at the “beginning” of the coronavirus epidemic and the confinement of the population will be imposed with more force, warned the authorities on Friday, preparing people to extend these measures.
An extension of the confinement – initially decreed until at least the end of March – “was not acted on,” said Interior Minister Christophe Castaner after the meeting, but indications to that effect have multiplied. Neighboring Italy, the most affected country in Europe, has already announced that it will extend its own measure.
“It will depend a little on the curve of the epidemic (…) but we can think that it will be more than 15 days, it will be around six weeks, or even more,” predicted doctor Yazdan Yazdanpanah, director of the infectiology at Inserm.
