Coronavirus: Olivier Véran during the press conference -
AFP
Confined departments, increase in intensive care patients, vaccination of over 70s ... As every Thursday, the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, took stock of the epidemic situation in France.
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Three new departments confined
The new health restrictions, including the closure of shops and the ban on traveling beyond 10 km without exemption, have been extended to three additional departments, the Rhône, Aube and Nièvre, for four weeks.
"After consultation" with elected officials and prefects, "it appeared essential to amplify the protective measures" for these three departments, which are in addition to the 16 already placed since this weekend under these "reinforced braking" measures , added the minister during a press briefing.
Among the measures are also the ban on interregional travel and the establishment of gauges halving the number of students per class in high school.
Increase in the number of intensive care patients
The number of patients with Covid-19 in intensive care continued to increase on Thursday, exceeding 4,700 people and getting closer to the record for the second wave in the fall, according to figures from Public Health France, unveiled by the minister.
The figure in intensive care has been rising steadily since the lowest recorded on January 7 (2,573 patients).
It reached 4,709 Thursday against 4,651 the day before, and progresses towards the record of the second wave which was 4,903 on November 16.
During the last 24 hours, 408 patients entered intensive care against 384 the day before.
The total number of people hospitalized in France with a positive Covid-19 diagnosis stands at 27,036, with 1,860 new admissions in 24 hours.
228 people have died in the past 24 hours in hospital.
"The epidemic dynamic is strong", underlined the Minister of Health Olivier Véran during a press conference Thursday.
No strict containment planned
While affirming that the "trend is not good", the Minister of Health again justified the choice not to impose a strict confinement, affirming that the constraints had to be adjusted according to the territories and highlighting "the acceptability ”for the French,“ exhausted from fighting relentlessly for a year ”.
He also argued that it was "too early" to measure the effectiveness of the measures in force since last weekend.
"If the situation were to worsen", "we would have to ask ourselves whether it is necessary to go further", he warned all the same.
24 departments placed in "enhanced vigilance"
In addition to the three reconfigured departments, 24 departments were placed under enhanced vigilance, either because of a high incidence rate, or because of the saturation of intensive care services.
L'Orne, Eure-et-Loir, Loir-et-Cher, Indre-et-Loire, Ardennes, Marne, Meuse, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Moselle, Yonne, the Doubs, the Jura, the Ain, the Haute-Savoie, the Savoie, the Isère, the Loire, the Hautes-Alpes, the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, the Var, the Bouches-du-Rhône, the Vaucluse, Gard and Lozère are concerned.
Vaccination for all people over 70 years old
As of Saturday, "vaccination will be open to all people over 70, who will have the choice of going to a vaccination center, their doctor or their pharmacy", announced Olivier Véran.
The Minister of Health also assured that there would be "a continuous rise" and that "more than 10 million people will have been vaccinated in mid-April, (...) a majority of the most vulnerable people ".
"Rejuvenation" of patients in intensive care
"We are seeing a relative rejuvenation" of patients admitted to intensive care, "in comparison with the data observed in November and December 2020", admitted Olivier Véran.
“As many resuscitators testify, the profile of these patients is changing: younger and sometimes without comorbidity,” he added.
"We are also observing a tendency to increase the risk of being admitted to intensive care when one is ill between 15 and 75 years old, since last February," he said.
Reinforced protocols in schools
Justifying leaving the schools open, the Minister of Health recalled that the closure of schools was a "last resort decision that we want to avoid at all costs" and which would have "very serious consequences on the development of children and the parents' daily life ”.
“With the Minister of Education Jean-Michel Blanquer, we are working on reinforced protocols.
The entire educational community ensures that life in schools, colleges and high schools can continue while limiting the risk of transmission as much as possible, ”he said.
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