In the streets of Lyon, August 22, 2020. -

PHILIPPE DESMAZES / AFP

Lille, Lyon, Grenoble and Saint-Etienne will go from Saturday to the maximum alert zone due to the deterioration of indicators linked to the Covid-19 epidemic, Minister of Health Olivier Véran announced on Thursday.

"The situation has deteriorated in several metropolises in recent days", which will lead to "switch" some of them to a higher level of alert, explained the minister during his weekly press conference.

Thus, for Lille, Lyon, Grenoble and Saint-Etienne, where the incidence has exceeded the alert threshold of 250 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants and more than 30% of resuscitation beds are occupied by Covid patients, "a passage in the maximum alert zone was decided by the president ”, declared Olivier Véran.

This measure will be effective “Saturday morning”.

Reinforced surveillance in Dijon and Clermont-Ferrand

For Toulouse and Montpellier, "we are giving ourselves a few days", until Monday morning, to possibly make the same decision, he added.

This classification in maximum alert, already valid for Aix-Marseille, Paris and Guadeloupe, implies reinforced health measures, such as the closing of bars.

The minister also indicated that Dijon and Clermont-Ferrand would be placed from Saturday morning on enhanced alert, a notch below.

"The health situation unfortunately continues to deteriorate in France", he insisted, noting despite everything a significant improvement in Nice and Bordeaux and a positive inflection in Rennes and Aix-Marseille.

Asked about the risk that Paris could switch to a “health emergency”, the highest category which does not concern any part of the territory at this stage, the minister considered this hypothesis if, for example, the occupation of intensive care beds by patients Covid exceeded 60%, compared to just under 40% currently.

This could trigger other measures, such as "non-essential trade closures I imagine", he added.

But "my message is not to say + we are going towards that +", assured the minister, calling for the vigilance of all to fight against the spread of the virus.

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Society

Coronavirus in Lyon: The city switches to maximum alert despite the stability of several indicators for monitoring the epidemic

  • Coronavirus

  • Covid 19

  • Grenoble

  • Lille

  • Saint Etienne

  • Lyon

  • Health