Coronavirus cases in France continue to increase, warning heading to situation similar to Italy
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Thirty-three people have died from coronavirus in France with two new cluster zones, authorities reported. The spread of the virus continued to impact all aspects of French life with concerts and sporting fixtures cancelled or postponed.
The number of coronavirus cases in France continued to rise as health authorities confirmed a total of 1,784 cases since the outbreak began in January and 33 deaths.
French Health Director Jérôme Salomon said during the evening press conference on Tuesday that France was very close to a state of full-blown epidemic as the “situation developed very quickly.”
French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the nation on Tuesday evening after a conference call with EU leaders on the coronavirus outbreak, saying that European nations will do everything that is needed to slow the disease’s spread. He also argued that “we musn’t give in to panic”, criticising Austria and Slovenia for closing their borders with Italy.
Earlier on Tuesday Macron declared that “we are only at the beginning of this epidemic”, after a surprise visit to the SAMU ambulance service at Necker hospital in Paris.
France is the second worst-affected country in Europe after Italy.
Eric D’Ortenzio, epidemiologist at France’s Inserm medical research institute, in an interview with French newspaper Liberation said that France is heading towards a national epidemic and that the number of cases of infections will go on increasing to approach that of Italy.
He added France has been preparing for a longer time, adding that 15% of infected people will need a hospital stay, more or less long. Our ability to absorb this shock will depend on the number of total cases.
