COVID-19 has claimed 1,100 lives in France, according to the country’s Director General of Health Jerome Salomon. The country has entered the second week of a nationwide lockdown after the coronavirus outbreak in France.
According the health department, an additional 2,444 positive cases were detected, bringing the tally to 22,300. A total of 10,176 people are now hospitalized, including 2,516 in intensive care, while 3,281 patients have recovered, Salomon said on Tuesday at a daily briefing.
More than a third of the patients who need life support are aged below 60, and 85 per cent of those who lost their lives are older than 70 years.
Facing “rapid worsening epidemic,” France would conduct 10,000 tests by the weekend, up from 9,000 currently, according to Salomon. He added that a special high-speed train TGV would transport on Wednesday 20 patients in critical condition from eastern city of Strasbourg to hospitals in Angers, Nimes, Nantes and La-Roche-sur-Yon in western France to help relief strained hospitals in Grand east region, the country’s worst-affected area.
“We are facing an unprecedented, serious and rapid virus circulation. Stay at home to avoid more deaths, more critical cases,” Salomon said, adding that the effects of movement restriction could be assessed within days.
France was in its second week of a national lockdown. Only trips for purposes of work, health needs or shopping of necessities are allowed.
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