Paris (AFP)
The circulation of the coronavirus is accelerating in France, with more than 1,000 deaths since the start of the epidemic and healthcare workers more under pressure than ever, to whom the president intends to pay tribute during a trip to the East.
The director general of public assistance - Paris Hospitals Martin Hirsch launched on Wednesday a call for the requisition of nursing staff and for a "recognition", perhaps in the form of bonuses, for the "superhuman" effort of the staff, a few hours before Emmanuel Macron's visit to a field hospital in Mulhouse.
The president wishes to "pay tribute to the nursing staff" and "show solidarity with the Grand Est region", which is facing a health situation that has become critical as evidenced by the unprecedented decision to evacuate 20 patients on board a medical TGV.
Objective: to unclog the hospitals of the Grand Est, close to the rupture in front of the increasing influx of patients, and to transfer patients to regions less affected by the epidemic.
The situation is also critical in Ile-de-France, underlined Martin Hirsch on Franceinfo, while the hospitals of the AP-HP have crossed the threshold of 1,600 hospitalized patients.
It is a "pivotal" moment, one where all actions "count not to break the mouth," said the boss of the largest French hospital group.
According to the assessment of health authorities on Tuesday evening, 1,100 deaths were recorded in the hospital and 2,516 patients were on Tuesday evening in intensive care (+434) out of a total of 10,176 hospitalized patients.
An official assessment lower than the reality since the deaths in hospital environment "represent only a small part of the mortality" in the country, noted Pr Jérôme Salomon, director general of Health, evoking the situation in the Ehpad where a "daily monitoring of mortality" will be introduced.
- Disarray in the Ehpad -
The toll is particularly cruel in retirement homes with already 16 deaths in an establishment in Saint-Dizier (Haute-Marne), seven in an Ehpad in Haute-Savoie, 20 in another in the Vosges.
"In Ile-de-France, of the 700 Ehpad, we know that there are 100 to 150 who could already be affected by the Covid-19," said Frédéric Valletoux, president of the Fédération hospitalière de France on franceinfo . "The first curtain is the caregivers, they are the ones who are facing this epidemic and the distress of the patients and their relatives. Because the link is cut, there are no more visits."
While the president has placed doctors and researchers on the front line of the "war" against the epidemic, the scientific committee now recommends the extension for a total period of six weeks - until April 28 - of confinement.
It is still only an "estimate among others", commented the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, even if the government generally agrees with the recommendations of the committee.
"When the circulation of the virus is controlled, then the lifting of the containment can be tackled. If it is possible to lift it earlier, we will obviously do it," he added.
"Many of our fellow citizens would like to rediscover the time before, (...) but it is not for tomorrow," warned Édouard Philippe on Monday evening, announcing a tightening of the containment measures: "Going out to take his children or playing sports is within a radius of 1 km from home, maximum for one hour, alone and once a day, "said the head of government.
- New form -
To leave their home, the French must use a new form of certificate of displacement from Wednesday, with the obligation to indicate the time of displacement.
Tens of thousands of infractions have been noted and the penalties have been tightened for those who do not respect these instructions. The 135 euros lump sum fine goes to 1,500 euros in the event of recidivism "within 15 days" and may go up to "3,700 euros fine and six months in prison".
The Unsa Police union, however, called on the police not to carry out checks on compliance with the confinement rules, in order to protect the officers. In a city of Oise, a 23-year-old policewoman was seriously injured in the head on Tuesday by a projectile during a control of this nature.
While few experts venture to predict the date of the "peak", a European clinical trial started Sunday in at least seven countries to test four experimental treatments.
At this stage, chloroquine, one of the controversial tested treatments, could be administered to patients suffering from "severe forms" of the coronavirus, but not for "less severe" forms.
Professor Raoult, whose recommendations for chloroquine treatment of Covid-19 patients are controversial, announced Tuesday to step back from the scientific council accompanying the executive, ensuring favoring a "direct" link with Emmanuel Macron in particular.
The president installed on Tuesday a new Analysis, Research and Expertise Committee (Care), which brings together 12 researchers and doctors, to advise the government on treatments and tests against the coronavirus.
© 2020 AFP