Paris: France reported on Tuesday that there were 762 COVID-19 deaths in hospitals and nursing homes, bringing the total number of deaths from the epidemic to 15,729.
Health official Jerome Salomon told reporters that France currently has more than 100,000 confirmed cases, but the total number of intensive care patients has fallen for the sixth consecutive day, falling by 91 to 6,730
Despite the heavy death toll, Solomon said the latest data confirms that the French month-long blockade has begun to have an impact.
He said: “In the past few days, we have observed a stable period … Thanks to your efforts and blockade, we have managed to limit the spread of the virus.”
The new toll was issued after President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that the French epidemic had “started to stabilize” and announced that the blockade would be relaxed from May 11.
The details of how to release the lock have not been clarified. The Minister of the Interior, Christophe Castaner, emphasized that this date is not static, but depends on continued positive trends.
He told Radio France Internationale: “May 11 is a goal.” He said: “This is the date we have to obey the blockade.”
The most controversial news for Macron is that although cafes and cultural venues will remain closed, the school will gradually open from May 11.
Francette Popineau, general secretary of the Snuipp-FSU Teachers Union, told AFP: “We found a contradiction in this speech.”
“We know that the confinement will end from May 11, but what we don’t understand is why the restaurant will be closed, the cafeteria will be closed, the cinema will be closed, and the school will be closed,” she added.
Macron also pointed out in his speech that the COVID-19 vaccine will be the only long-term solution, adding that in France, only a few people are infected and there is no evidence that people are immune to cattle.
Solomon said that estimates based on the model indicate that approximately 5-10% of the French population has been infected, but this varies from region to region.
The official confirmed cases of COVID-19 in France are 103,573, but officials believe that this is greatly underestimated due to lack of testing.
