Paris (AFP)

A week after the entry into force of containment, the number of new contaminations soars, raising fears of difficult days before the first results of measures to slow the circulation of the virus are felt.

At least 60,486 positive cases for Covid-19 were recorded between Thursday and Friday, according to Public Health France (SpF).

A new record and a sudden acceleration since it is double the levels observed in mid-October.

The situation could be more serious than announced, the health agency SpF having warned that the data on contaminations have been incomplete for several days, due to a computer traffic jam, which hinders the reporting of test results.

Clearly above the peak of "about 6,000" patients that the Minister of Health Olivier Véran said to expect Thursday, in the event of a "well respected" confinement.

- First transfers -

The pressure on hospital services is no less worrying, as evidenced by the first transfers of Covid-19 patients between French regions, and Thursday and Friday of patients from the Grand-Est region to Germany.

The epidemic killed 405 in hospital in 24 hours, the health agency said.

The coronavirus has caused 39,865 deaths in France since the start of the epidemic.

"60,000 (cases) positive per day is a catastrophic level, it is enormous", estimated Saturday morning on France Inter Prof. Karine Lacombe, head of the infectious diseases department of the Saint-Antoine hospital.

"We do not understand how we got there, when we experienced the 1st wave, that we now have a lot of prevention tools", added the infectious disease specialist, assuming that they were " misused ".

As of Thursday, the Director General of Health, Jérôme Salomon, had deemed it imperative to "curb the spread of the virus quickly and strongly".

- Mobility -

Prime Minister Jean Castex called to respect "more than ever" the confinement that entered into force on October 30, "in the strictest possible way", in an interview with the regional dailies of the Ebra group on Saturday.

He estimated that the French respected "generally" the restrictive measures, while deploring "a resistance from people who want to go to their work and from certain companies which do not play the game".

The less strict nature of the second confinement translates into greater mobility of the French, who have moved two to three times more since October 30 than during the first confinement, according to data from several operators.

The phenomenon is even more marked in public transport in Ile-de-France, with an average attendance of 30% compared to normal, against figures between 5% and 10% in the spring.

However, the government has refrained from imposing new restrictions.

The Minister of Health in particular ruled out on Friday the idea of ​​imposing confinement on the most vulnerable, in particular the elderly.

- Derogation -

To ensure that the confined French people do not run out of food, the government on Saturday authorized exceptionally heavy goods vehicles of more than 7.5 tons carrying foodstuffs to circulate on Sunday until noon.

An exemption that will be extended to movers and parcel carriers for Wednesday, November 11, Armistice Day.

The only exception will have been a turn of the screw in National Education in the face of insistent demands in the medical community for the closure of high schools and colleges, and anger in schools in the face of a health protocol deemed insufficient.

The Minister, Jean-Michel Blanquer, encouraged more distance learning courses for high school students, while maintaining a minimum of 50% face-to-face.

In Paris, to limit the concentrations of people, delivery and take-away sales by restaurants and bars, as well as the sale and consumption of alcohol on public roads are now prohibited from 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. since Friday.

© 2020 AFP