“I now recommend avoiding a handshake” announces the Minister of Health

Nineteen new cases of infection with the new coronavirus were confirmed on Friday in France, which brings their total number to fifty-seven since the end of January, announced the Minister of Health Olivier Véran.

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“In France, a new stage in the epidemic has been reached and we are now going to stage 2 (out of a total of 3, editor’s note): the virus is circulating on our territory and we must curb its spread”, declared the Minister, in visit to Crépy-en-Valois (Oise), where the first Frenchman who died from infection taught.

“In an epidemic situation, protecting yourself is also protecting others and it is the small gestures that make great protection”, continued Mr. Véran, who “now recommends, and for a period which remains to be determined, to avoid handshake ”.

“Several + clusters + (grouped cases, editor’s note) are identified” across the territory, he recalled.

The main one is in the Oise: “There are 18 cases in the Oise tonight”, “6 more” than Thursday.

In addition, there are “6 cases in Annecy” (against four listed on Thursday), “6 cases concerning travelers returning from organized trips to Egypt” (against two listed on Thursday) and “two cases in Montpellier”, according to Minister. “There are still twelve isolated cases, however,” he continued.

For now, the toll of Covid-19 disease in France is two dead (a 60-year-old French teacher whose death was announced on Wednesday and an 80-year-old Chinese tourist), twelve healings and forty-three hospitalized patients .

Mr. Véran, himself a doctor, recalled the importance of “barrier measures” to prevent the spread of the virus: “Wash your hands, sneeze in your elbow, use single-use tissues”.

“The mask is useless if you are not sick, if you have not been (in) close contact with sick people and that the wearing of the mask was not recommended to you”, he underlined, in stating that “most of the contamination is by hands”.

A Defense Council and then an exceptional Council of Ministers on the coronavirus will be organized on Saturday.

The WHO (World Health Organization) raised the threat level of the new coronavirus worldwide to its highest level on Friday, raising it to “very high”.

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