In the carefree summer, France is not immune to a recovery uncontrolled epidemic of Covid-19, alerts the scientific council, who guide the government, as the cases increase, and that the restrictions are multiplying. “The virus circulates more actively, with a loss accentuated measures of distance and measures barriers : the balance is fragile and we can switch at any time in a scenario less controlled as in Spain, for example,” cautions the instance in a new opinion made public Tuesday, August 4, 2020. “The future of the epidemic in the short-term is largely in the hands of citizens “, which must comply with the measures, barriers, run by the council, according to which ” France is in a controlled situation, but frail.”
beyond the short-term situation, the instance judge ” highly likely that a second epidemic wave is observed in the fall or in the winter “, as had been stated. In recent weeks, the authorities warn of a possible worsening of the situation, in the light of indicators up for almost three months after the end of containment. The week of 20 to 26 July, the number of new confirmed cases in France has undergone a significant increase, up 54 % (5 592 in total), and the bar of the 1 000 new cases per day has been exceeded, stressed on July 30, the health care agency public Health France in his last week. In addition, the number of patients with Covid-19 hospitalized in the intensive care unit has increased by 13 cases since Friday (384 in total), breaking with the downward trend observed since April, according to the last point daily of the Directorate-general of health (DGS) released on Monday the 3rd of August.
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against this backdrop, the authorities have stepped up measures in recent weeks. After the obligation of the mask in enclosed areas, including the shops, the 20 July, the government allowed the prefects to impose it also on the outside in the places where they deem it necessary. This is particularly the case in dozens of communes of the Mayenne department, where the virus is particularly present, and in some areas of Nice, Toulouse or lille. “I don’t really see the logic : why should we carry on here, but not on the sidewalk across the street ?” was surprised Monday Enzo Lorini, 21 years old, while Prime minister Jean Castex was on a visit to Lille. “The virus is not on vacation. We no more “, launched the leader of the government. “We need to protect against this virus, especially without stopping the economic life and social life, that is to say, in avoiding the prospect of a reconfinement generalized. “
“fear-mongering” ?
This is also the line of the scientific council : “The response to this probable second wave (in the fall or winter, editor’s NOTE) will be different from the response to the first. “The council calls on the authorities to put in place of the” prevention plans “, focusing in particular on the twenty largest metropolitan areas : “A “containment local” more or less important depending of the epidemic must be the subject of a preparation in these areas of high population density. “He also complained of “slowness” in the government’s strategy of test, trace and isolate positive cases. It calls for improving “access to test” screening, in which lead times are currently too long due to a high demand. “It is necessary to test more rationally, with a better targeting (the most affected areas, editor’s NOTE), and going very fast,” says the epidemiologist Catherine Hill.
However, some scientists are calling to put the numbers of the indicators in perspective. “The situation in France is no justification to say that there is a worsening “, has recently stated Yonathan Freund, professor of emergency medicine at the Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital in Paris. “If there are 1,000 cases per day, it is because the virus is circulating, and it is normal. The epidemic is under control, if ever we overcome, we will know well in advance, “continued the doctor, who rises up against an excess of” fear-mongering “, even if its position is in the minority.
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epidemiologist Antoine Flahault, him, leading to an increase of “anxiety” since the end of containment : “It leads to drag gradually from the initial goal (to avoid the congestion of services resuscitation) to a goal of eliminating the virus circulation at the lowest level possible. “” It goes of a risk that was deemed acceptable and that we tried to control to a doctrine of zero risk “, he explains.
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