Paris (AFP)

The epidemic of coronavirus, which continues to make hundreds of deaths per day in France, pushed the government to cancel the exams of the baccalaureate, with an examination which will be based this year solely on continuous monitoring.

Only the oral French is maintained for the pupils of Première who pass the French bac, announced the Minister of Education. BEP, CAP and BTS students will also be assessed via continuous assessment.

"It is the simplest, safest and fairest solution," said Jean-Michel Blanquer, who also assured that "all students (would have classes until July 4"), from the moment where a return to normal is possible before that.

All the tests of the college certificate will also be validated in continuous control for the pupils of Third, starting from the average of the marks obtained during the three trimesters, which will not take into account the duration of confinement. "The final production will be suspended at an attendance check," insisted the minister.

- No departures on vacation -

The announcement comes after Prime Minister Edouard Philippe warned Thursday evening that the confinement would likely be extended beyond April 15.

But the release from containment "is not for tomorrow morning," he said.

The Easter holidays begin Friday for Zone C (Ile-de-France and Occitanie). But "there should not be any departures on vacation in the coming days. All those who are in violation will be punished," said the head of government. Controls have been tightened, train traffic reduced to a minimum.

The deconfinement "will only be able to intervene gradually," repeated Edouard Philippe, adding that "we are thinking about several scenarios" with "health experts, logisticians" under the leadership of the interministerial delegate for the Games. Olympic, Jean Castex.

In addition to the paper device already in place to justify the trips, a digital travel certificate will be available from Monday.

- More than 5,300 dead -

Since March 1, Covid-19 has killed 4,603 people in hospitals, including 471 between Wednesday and Thursday. At least 884 elderly people have also died in retirement homes since the start of the epidemic, according to an initial official assessment, albeit partial, announced on Thursday.

The collection of figures in retirement homes is still underway, warned director general of health Jérôme Salomon Thursday, citing "major inequalities in the collection between regions", when the first expected report was announced for several days.

The Regional Health Agency of Grand Est, one of the most affected regions, for example, reported having recorded 570 deaths in Ehpad (accommodation establishments for dependent elderly people).

In addition, nearly 6,400 people require heavy intensive care, or 382 more in one day.

- Saturation and evacuations -

Faced with the danger of saturation in hospitals, especially in the Grand Est and Ile-de-France, evacuations continue to hospitals in less affected regions. In total, according to the Directorate General of Health, 439 patients in critical condition have been evacuated since March 18 and other operations will follow in the coming days.

To cope with the wave, Edouard Philipe announced the opening "of an ultra modern platform" at the Henri-Mondor hospital in Créteil (Val-de-Marne) "in April", allowing to accommodate "86 patients additional ".

"It is a model of crisis which exhausts the personnel", testified Gilles Pialoux, chief of the department of infectious diseases at the Parisian hospital Tenon, on LCI. "Behind this feat, there is great fatigue and tension."

Another saturated sector is the undertaker. The Paris police prefecture has announced that a building on the Rungis wholesale market is to be transformed into a "large capacity" funeral home to accommodate the coffins of victims.

The competition for drugs and protective equipment is as global as the epidemic: the president of the Ile-de-France region Valérie Pécresse (ex-LR) said she saw a load of masks escape her in China for the benefit of 'Americans who had "outbid" to get it.

"There is a frantic search for protective equipment," testified Frédéric Valletoux, president of the French Hospital Federation, on France Inter on Friday. "It is relaxing, we see that deliveries are coming, ordered by the State or the regions (...) It also reassures all those who are at the front, with weeks stretching."

"This case is the adhesive plaster that sticks to the finger of the government," said Dr. Valletoux, also mayor of Fontainebleau, invested by LREM. "We will have to draw conclusions later from what happened."

burs-tsz / rh / shu

© 2020 AFP