Rise in cases, new measures and international highlights: update on the weekend’s news concerning the Covid-19 pandemic.
Increase in intensive care admissions in France
The number of people hospitalized in intensive care or intensive care rose to 3,452 on Saturday, October 31, according to figures from Public Health France, and 3,578 on Sunday, November 1.
The number of intensive care beds, already raised from 5,100 to 5,800 after the first wave of the epidemic, should soon exceed 7,000, according to the Minister of Health Olivier Véran. Resuscitation services are now saturated in three quarters of French departments.
Closure of “non-food” departments
Prime Minister Jean Castex announced this evening on TF1 the closure of “non-food” departments from Tuesday, November 3. Shops deemed “non-essential” will not be able to reopen, added the Prime Minister.
“No, we will not go back on the measures announced”, in particular on the closure of non-essential businesses, “said Jean Castex.
A disaster for large distribution, already firmly opposed to this decision, but especially for small traders such as florists or booksellers.
The situation will be reassessed in two weeks, on the occasion of a new sanitary point.
A peak expected for the second week of November
The peak of hospitalizations of Covid-19 patients should occur in the “second week of November”, said epidemiologist Arnaud Fontanet, member of the Scientific Council, on Sunday, who foresees a “very tense” month of November in hospitals, before a probable drop in a month.
For its part, the Institut Pasteur estimates the number of patients in intensive care at 6,000 around mid-November, if the confinement produces the same slowdown as the first confinement. According to Arnaud Fontanet, “if the confinement works well (…) we can expect a 65 to 80% drop in infections”.
Slovakia tests its entire population
Slovakia has launched a program to screen the general population for the coronavirus with antigenic tests, a world first.
England confined from November 5 to December 2
The British government has decided to reconfine England from November 5 to December 2, while keeping schools open.
Portugal and Greece in partial containment
70% of the population of Portugal will be confined, from Wednesday November 4. The Greek government has also announced a lockdown in Athens and some major cities in the country from Tuesday, November 3.
Austria, in turn, re-defined
The Austrian government has announced a new containment as of Tuesday, November 3, with the establishment of a curfew and the closure of restaurants, hotels, cultural and sports institutions, in an attempt to stem the second wave of the pandemic of Covid-19.
