More than 6,000 new cases of Covid-19 have been recorded in France in the past 24 hours, a new record since May, but the number of hospitalized patients, including in intensive care, remains stable, according to data released Thursday by the authorities sanitary facilities.
The virus’s active circulation map
Faced with an epidemic of the coronavirus which is “regaining ground”, 21 departments are now in the red zone and the wearing of the mask will become compulsory everywhere in Paris and the inner suburbs, in Marseille, in Toulon etc. The government said Thursday it wanted to “do everything” to avoid a “general reconfinement” devastating for the economy.
From 4,000 to 6,000 new cases in a few days
A total of 6,111 new positive diagnoses were identified against 5,429 on Wednesday, said the Directorate General of Health (DGS) and Public Health France. This is the highest number since testing has been carried out on a large scale. The 4,000 threshold has been crossed several times in recent days. The positive cases detected increase because of the circulation of the virus and because the number of people tested increases every day.
30,576 people have died in France as a result of the coronavirus since the start of the epidemic, i.e. 32 dead in 48 hours (the health authorities were unable to give the number of deaths Wednesday evening due to a computer failure and the ‘we therefore only have the figure for Tuesday evening, which was 30,544).
4,535 people were hospitalized for a Covid-196 infection, including 381 in intensive care on Thursday. Tuesday (previous figures available), there were 4,600 people hospitalized, including 410 in intensive care. Of the 30,576 deaths, 20,070 took place in hospitals and 10,506 (figure from Monday evening, these data are only updated once a week) in social and medico-social establishments.
The table by departments
22 new clusters
In 24 hours, 22 new foci of grouped cases (clusters) were also detected. The test positivity rate was 3.8% in France between August 18 and 24, compared to 3.6% between August 15 and 21.
“Now is the time to intervene,” Prime Minister Jean Castex insisted on Thursday at a press conference in Matignon, adding that the objective is more than ever to “break the chains of transmission”.
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