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.
Meanwhile, a senior medic at the World Health Organisation has warned that European governments are “well behind” in the fight against coronavirus and the continent is becoming an epicentre for the disease. Dr Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s health emergencies programme, said yesterday that much more comprehensive measures will be needed if Europe is to get on top of the virus.
He said: “There’s no question that the European region is an epicentre for disease right now. Right now, we are well behind this virus in Europe, so getting ahead of it is going to take some serious acceleration in what we do and maybe much more comprehensive nature of measures that are going to be needed.”
He said that if European countries imposed much tougher measures, it should be possible to stay ahead of transmission rates as long as thorough public health surveillance is in place.
Dr Ryan urged governments not to “squander” the opportunity presented by further lockdowns, and to support their citizens in doing the right thing. He also warned the free movement of people within the EU was going to present a challenge as the transmission rate gathers pace.