France has now ‘lost control’ of Covid-19
VIRUS patients now occupy more than half of France’s intensive care units, and some doctors are urging tougher restrictions after another record jump in confirmed infections.
Dr Jean-francois Delfraissy, head of the government’s virus advisory body, expressed surprise at the “brutality” of the rise, after more than 52,000 new cases were reported on Sunday.
Speaking on RTL radio, he floated the idea of local lockdowns or extending France’s 9pm to 6am curfews, which currently cover about half of the country and more than two-thirds of its people.
The number of people in hospital in France with the virus has climbed sharply in recent weeks, putting renewed pressure on ICUS.
Covid patients now fill more than two-thirds of the ICUS in the Paris region.
Dr Eric Caumes, head of the infectious and tropical diseases department at Paris’ Pitie-salpetriere Hospital, told broadcaster Franceinfo yesterday that “we have lost control of the epidemic, though it doesn’t date from yesterday”.
France has been among countries hardest hit by the pandemic, reporting 34,761 virus-related deaths.
It is currently registering more than 340 positive cases per 100,000 people nationwide each week.
Dr Delfraissy warns that this latest wave of the virus could be “stronger than the first” and is spreading all around Europe.
This gloomy picture is in sharp contrast to Australia where the country’s former coronavirus hot spot of Melbourne will largely emerge from lockdown after the city recorded its first day without a new
Covid-19 case in more than four months. Victoria state premier Daniel Andrews said from last night all shops, restaurants, cafes and bars will be allowed to open and outdoors contact sports can resume.
From November 8, Melbourne residents will no longer be restricted to travelling within 16 miles of their homes. They will also be allowed to travel from the city to other parts of Victoria.
“Now is the time to open up,” Mr Andrews told reporters.
Melbourne, the nation’s secondlargest city, has been under strict lockdown measures since early July and the state government has been accused of inflicting unnecessary economic damage by not relaxing restrictions sooner.
The last time Victoria recorded a 24-hour period without a single case was June 9 before a second wave of infections began.
A week has passed since Victoria lost a life to Covid-19.