Is the epidemic starting again? France has again crossed the threshold of 5,000 daily cases of Covid-19, according to figures from Public Health France published on Monday confirming the increase in contamination observed since October 20.
If we flatten the numbers over the course of a week, Monday will be the third straight day above 5,000 new cases per day. There were 5,084 on Saturday, 5,259 on Sunday, and 5,293 on Monday, while this indicator was below 4,700 as of October 19.
A number Macron kept in 2020
The government and epidemiologists have stressed in recent weeks the need to maintain barriers to contain the epidemic, despite the benefits of vaccination.
The limit of 5,000 cases per day in November 2020 was maintained for reference by President Emmanuel Macron as the case below which transmission of the disease could have been closely followed. According to him, shops and entertainment venues were allowed to open normally.
Hospital data reassurance
If the epidemic resurfaces again, hospital data remains relatively reassuring. The number of hospitalized patients, at 6,405 on Monday, has roughly flattened since mid-October. And in critical care services, which treat the most severe cases, the number of 1,023 on Monday was among the lowest since the start of the pandemic.
According to the Directorate General of Health, 49,856,632 people now have a full vaccination schedule, or 73.9% of the total population. At the current rate, the 50 million mark can be reached around Halloween.