The Covid-19 epidemic is progressing again in France.

According to the French public health agency, 9,843 new infections due to the coronavirus were recorded in 24 hours.

This is an unprecedented figure since the start of the pandemic.

The number of patients hospitalized in the last seven days is 2,202, which is 45 more than Wednesday, and among them, 371 were admitted to intensive care, one less than the day before.

The number of patients in intensive care currently stands at 615, specifies for its part the General Directorate of Health.

This is the first time that this number has exceeded 600 since June 30.

Nineteen additional deaths have also been recorded, bringing the toll to 30,813 deaths in France since the start of the epidemic. 

Decisions expected on Friday

The day after the statements of the President of the Scientific Council who called on the government to "make difficult decisions", President Emmanuel Macron responded by indicating, Thursday, September 10, that the government would announce Friday at the end of the Defense Council devoted to Covid- 19 decisions making it possible to "give visibility over the coming weeks".

"What we must do is adapt to the evolution of the virus (...) We will have decisions to make, but there you have it, we must, I think, continue to be demanding, realistic, without giving in to any panic whatever, "said the Head of State during a trip to Corsica.

During the Defense Council on Friday, "what I want is to give visibility over the next few weeks", he added, while "the virus is circulating a lot".

LIVE |

Press conference from the Prefecture of Ajaccio.

https://t.co/IsdGB6AuNz

- Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) September 10, 2020

"Try to slow down as much as possible and stop the circulation" of the virus

Asked about the words of the President of the Scientific Council, Jean-François Delfraissy, Emmanuel Macron considered that "the scientific council is in its role, which is technical", and that it is up to political leaders to "take decisions" in " trying to be as transparent and as clear as possible ". 

We must "try to slow down as much as possible and stop the circulation" of the virus with barrier gestures and "the organization of social life that we must adapt", while "allowing us to continue living", in particular "educating our children "," treat other pathologies, "added the Head of State.

He stressed the need to "decline territorially" the decisions taken, and once again called on the French to "take their share of responsibility, because we are all stakeholders in this fight against the virus".

Government spokesman Gabriel Attal for his part again refused Thursday morning on BFMTV and RMC to comment on the hardest assumptions concerning the measures that could be announced on Friday (limitation of movement, assembly, or even localized reconfinements) while limiting oneself to hammering that this health crisis shows "that one can never exclude anything in principle". 

With AFP and Reuters

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