Second wave, new measures and international highlights: update on the weekend’s news concerning the Covid-19 pandemic.
New contaminations record in France
Saturday, October 24, the country recorded 45,422 new contaminations, a new record. Sunday, October 25, Public Health France identified 52,010 new cases. The test positivity rate is on the rise, it now stands at 17%.
Curfew and possibility of re-containment in France
During the night of Saturday 24 to Sunday 25 October, 38 additional departments experienced their first curfew, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. The curfew now concerns two thirds of the French population.
Some doctors are calling for a widening of the curfew and a reconfinement on weekends.
For doctors from the Regional Union of Liberal Health Professionals (URPS) of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, “ the epidemic has reached a record level which in a few days will find its translation into congestion, even saturation of hospital services »They told BFMTV this Sunday.
For their part, two professors and lecturers in public health at the Lille University Hospital plead for ” a new type of eco-compatible containment targeted by region “. A ” eco-compatible containment »Which would involve maintaining access to schools, colleges and high schools, distance learning courses for higher education, the extension of teleworking, the opening of shops for essential products only, the cancellation of public meetings and private and downloading by the greatest number of the application AllAntiCovid. An application to help trace cases, downloaded about 4 million times, according to Secretary of State Cédric O.
Pharmacies are asking for more resources
Pharmacies, authorized to perform antigenic tests, are asking for means and permission to work with liberal nurses to perform these tests, the Union Syndicale des Pharmaciens de Pharmaciens (USPO) reported on Sunday (October 25th).
World record of contaminations broken for the third consecutive day
The WHO announced that it recorded a new world record for Covid-19 contamination on Saturday for the third day in a row, bringing the number of new cases identified to 465,319 in 24 hours. ” We are at a critical moment in the pandemic, particularly in the northern hemisphere ”Said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director of WHO.
State of emergency and national curfew in Spain
The Spanish government decreed, Sunday, October 25, a new “state of health alert” and a curfew from 11 pm to 6 am throughout the territory, with the exception of the Canary Islands.
New restrictions for Italy
In Italy, cinemas, theaters, sports halls and swimming pools will have to close from Monday until November 24. Bars and restaurants will have to stop serving after 6 p.m.
Mandatory teleworking in Brussels
From Monday, teleworking will be compulsory in Brussels and its region, except for employees who have no other choice but to travel to work. The Brussels authorities have also decided to advance the curfew to 10 p.m. and the closing of shops to 8 p.m.
