Two weeks after the reconfinement of the French, Jean Castex promises a point, Thursday, November 12, on the second wave of Covid-19.
As the number of patients continues to rise, the Prime Minister risks dampening hopes of relaxing restrictions.
The press conference of the head of government is scheduled for 6 p.m., after the now weekly ritual of the defense council, which should make final arbitrations in the morning.
President Emmanuel Macron had made an appointment with traders in mid-November to assess a possible reopening of stores, but the Minister in charge of Relations with Parliament, Marc Fesneau, closed the door on Wednesday to a change "at this stage" , while saying "understand" the "distress" of traders.
It has been fifteen days since all businesses that do not sell products deemed essential for the pursuit of economic activity, necessary for transport, teleworking or even food for the French have been forced to close.
The only concession: the delivery and withdrawal of orders (the famous "click & collect") remain permitted for all stores, including those subject to administrative closure, bookstores, clothing, flower or toy stores.
Reinforcement of controls
More than an easing, the government is working to enforce containment even more.
The Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, thus called on his troops to strengthen controls.
The tenant of Place Beauvau thus asks the prefects "for particular firmness" to enforce confinement.
In agglomerations like Paris, they are also asked to pay "specific attention" to controls in parks and gardens which, unlike the first confinement, remained open.
For her part, the Minister of Labor, Elisabeth Borne, called for "all activities that can be teleworked" to be accomplished remotely.
"I am aware that we are asking both employers and employees to make efforts, undoubtedly beyond what everyone would like. But we are facing a very brutal epidemic. Reducing travel, the presence in the company remains one of the most effective means (...) to break the dynamics of the epidemic ", she explained to the Parisian.
"The peak of the epidemic is in front of us"
The health context remains very worrying.
"The peak of the epidemic is in front of us, the second wave is still progressing", warned Monday the Director General of Health, Professor Jérôme Salomon, despite a slowdown in the progression of the epidemic.
A "tremor" noted in particular through the incidence rate, which measures new cases during the last seven days on a population of 100,000 inhabitants.
It started to decline nationally last week and the rate of positive cases out of the total number of tests has dropped back below 20%.
But 329 Covid-19 patients still died in hospital on Wednesday.
Monday, France had recorded the highest daily toll since the start of the 2nd epidemic wave with 551 deaths in 24 hours in hospitals.
More than 42,000 people have already died from Covid-19 in France.
Patient transfers to other CHUs
In the intensive care units, the situation is getting tighter every day.
On Wednesday, 351 new patients in 24 hours joined these beds, or a total of 4,789 patients, out of a total capacity and all pathologies already increased from 5,000 to 6,400 beds and which should soon increase to 7,500.
Sign of the overflow of hospitals in France, many CHUs have had to deprogram surgery operations and, in some cases, postpone consultations, to the chagrin of health professionals who sound the alarm bells.
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For people with cancer, with the second confinement "all indicators turn red", the League against cancer was alarmed on Tuesday, pointing to "insufficient care" for these patients.
In the most affected regions, patient transfers to other CHUs are being organized, again testifying to the saturation of hospitals.
In the Lyon region, several transfers took place to Paris.
Others, from Savoy, were sent to the Nantes University Hospital and to Brittany.
With AFP
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