Dire warning as virus cases spike in Paris
Critical care doctors in Paris say surging coronavirus infections could soon overwhelm their ability to care for the sick in the French capital’s hospitals, possibly forcing them to choose which patients they have the resources to treat.
The sobering warning was delivered Sunday in a newspaper opinion signed by 41 doctors. Published by Le Journal du Dimanche newspaper, it comes as French President Emmanuel Macron has been defending his decision not to completely lock down France again as he did last year. Since January, Macron’s government has instead imposed a nationwide overnight curfew along with with a grabbag of other restrictions.
But with infections soaring and hospitals increasingly running short of intensive care beds, doctors have been stepping up the pressure for a full French shutdown.
The doctors predicted that softer new restrictions imposed this month on Paris and some other regions won’t quickly bring the resurgent epidemic under control. They warned that hospital resources won’t be able to keep pace with needs, forcing them to practice “catastrophe medicine” in the coming weeks as cases peak.
“We will be obliged to triage patients in order to save as many lives as possible,” they wrote.
BRITAIN Cautious easing of restrictions
Britain is taking another small step out of lockdown as it looks nervously at a new virus surge inundating its European neighbors.
With U.K. coronavirus vaccination rates outstripping those of European Union nations, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is easing the stark “stay at home” message that has kept the virus in check for almost three months.
On Monday, it will be replaced with a message to stay local. People will be allowed to meet in groups of six outdoors and can resume outdoor sports such as basketball, tennis and golf.
Stephen Powis, medical director of the National Health Service, urged people to continue to follow the rules, saying the easing “does not mean job done.” Britain has Europe’s highest virus death toll, at more than 126,000 people.
MEXICO
Far higher toll acknowledged
Mexico’s government has acknowledged that the country’s true death toll from the coronavirus pandemic now likely stands above 321,000.
That is almost 60% more than the government’s official testconfirmed number of about 201,000. Mexico does little testing, and because hospitals were overwhelmed, many Mexicans died at home without COVID19 being confirmed. The only way to get a more accurate picture is to review “excess deaths” and death certificates.
The government published such a report over the weekend, indicating there were 294,287 deaths linked to COVID19 from the start of the pandemic through Feb. 14. Since Feb. 15 there have been an additional 26,772 testconfirmed deaths.
The higher toll would rival that of Brazil, which currently has the world’s secondhighest number of deaths after the United States.
ALBANIA Nation boosts inoculations
Albania started a mass vaccination campaign Sunday ahead of the summer tourism season after acquiring 192,000 doses of Chinese coronavirus vaccine Sinovac.
Hundreds of people age 70 and above gathered at Tirana’s main Skanderbeg Square to get shots in two large tents.
Vaccination has proceeded slowly in the Balkan country since midJanuary before the arrival of the Sinovac vaccine, with Albania receiving fewer than 100,000 Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Sputnik V doses.
State expands vaccine effort
The governor of South Carolina has opened up COVID19 vaccination to all of the state’s residents ages 16 and up, saying the state could begin scheduling appointments this week and receive the vaccine starting Wednesday.
Gov. Henry McMaster’s decision moves the allinclusive vaccination eligibility ahead, which the state had been anticipating to implement in May. South Carolina joins at least a dozen states who have opened eligibility to all residents age 16 and older.
As of last week, more than 1.1 million in South Carolina had gotten at least one vaccine dose, or about 27%, according to health officials. Nearly 618,000 had been fully vaccinated, or about 15%.
HAWAII
Rules relaxed for weddings
Weddings on Oahu can now be held outside with a maximum of 100 people after an easing of public health orders related to the coronavirus pandemic. A limit of 10 people will continue for indoor weddings.
For outdoor weddings, all people must wear face masks and each wedding must be supervised by “event planning professionals.” Temperature checks will be required.
The news was applauded by members of the state’s wedding industry, which was dramatically affected by the pandemic.