While in France, the figures attest to an improvement in the health situation, in Hong Kong, the number of cases is exploding.
- The health pass was introduced on June 9, 2021, and the vaccination pass on January 24, 2022.
- Nearly six million people have died of Covid-19 worldwide.
The numbers are down. In France, the indicators linked to Covid-19 are decreasing, according to the latest point of Public Health France, released Friday, March 4. Incidence rate, new daily cases, reproduction rate or hospitalizations: all these data are improving from week to week.
Incidence rate down for four weeks
In France, there were an average of 60,000 new cases each day, between February 21 and 27. For four weeks, the incidence rate has been decreasing, with around 585 cases per 100,000 inhabitants on average over the last seven days. Public Health France notes that the decrease in contamination concerns all age groups, but it is more marked for certain categories: 40-49 year olds, -35% and 30-39 year olds, -34%. The incidence rate is highest among people aged 20 to 29. At the same time, the number of people hospitalized because of the virus is decreasing. As of March 1, it was below 25,000, while it was above 32,000 in early February. Deaths, in hospital or in social and medical-social establishments, are also on the decline.
[#COVID19] Continued decline in hospital indicators in all regions pic.twitter.com/y8QaOx5eci
– SantépubliqueFrance (@SantePublicFr) March 4, 2022
Easing measures
These figures are one more argument in favor of the reduction of the measures, announced by Jean Castex, Thursday March 3. The Prime Minister has declared the end of compulsory mask wearing from March 14, except on public transport. The vaccination pass is also suspended from this date, but the health pass, either a complete vaccination schedule or a negative test, remains necessary to access health establishments.
In Hong Kong, the highest number of cases for two years
On the other side of the globe, the situation is at the opposite extreme. In Hong Kong, while only 12,000 cases had been recorded in the past two years, more than 190,000 were detected between January and February 2022. On Friday, authorities announced more than 50,000 new cases, for the third consecutive day. The Omicron variant is at the origin of this epidemic rebound, which overwhelms Hong Kong hospitals. The city has announced the implementation of massive screening: the 7.4 million inhabitants will be tested in March, and each of the positive cases will have to isolate themselves in dedicated structures: hotel, social housing or in camps. On Wednesday March 2, the United States announced that they were advising people not to travel to Hong Kong because of these drastic measures. “In some cases, children who tested positive in Hong Kong were separated from their parents and kept in solitary confinement.specifies a communicated of the American Consulate in Hong Kong.
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