By Geert De Clercq
PARIS (Reuters) – On Friday 7379 new cases of coronavirus, the number since the lockout, in what the ministry of fitness described as an exponential increase just days before millions of young people returned to school for the first time since March.
The daily count just below the record of 7578 reached March 31, at the peak of an initial wave of COVID-19 infections that paralyzed Europe. The push raised the option that the government might be forced to close the country again.
“We are doing everything we can for another blockade and, in particular, a national blockade,” President Emmanuel Macron told reporters Friday. He added that it would be detrimental to dismiss any scenario.
In a weekly review of the pandemic, the Ministry of Health said the country is witnessing an “exponential accumulation in the transmission of the virus.”
Like other heavily affected Western European countries, France imposed a sudden and strict blockade in March, in which top citizens were confined to their homes. Restrictions were lifted gradually since 11 May after a sharp drop in infections.
Authorities are now looking for tactics to restrict the spread of the disease without a new blockade. On Friday, Parisians were ordered to wear an outdoor mask in the capital at any time.
The reopening of schools next week on Tuesday is widely expected as a major step towards normalcy. More than 12 million young people will return to school, peaking for the first time in more than five months.
To date, the immediate increase in the number of cases has not yet led to an increase in hospitalizations or deaths. On Friday, the ministry reported 20 new deaths by COVID-19, bringing the cumulative total to 30596. The number of other people hospitalized with the disease remained unchanged at 4,535 and the number in the extensive care building increased from six to 387.
Authorities say the virus is now spreading among other young people who are less likely to have severe symptoms.
Two weeks after the closure of France’s blockade on 11 May, the number of new infections fell to 115 and 272 on average for seven days. But while the country has gradually reopened restaurants, museums and grocery shopping malls, the number of new infections has been confirmed. above 500 per day until the end of June.
That number doubled to around 1,000 per day at the end of July, doubled to around 2,000 to mid-August and exceeded 5,000 this week.
(Report through Geert De Clercq; Edited through Peter Graff)