“We recorded a little over 20,000 contaminations in 24 hours, an increase of almost 50% in one week.
This confirms that we are in the 5th wave ”, declared Olivier Véran this Thursday, November 18 at the microphone of RTL.
The Minister of Health was reassuring, adding that he was closely monitoring the daily number of hospitalizations, which has so far "nothing to do with the levels reached during previous waves".
In hospitals, however, the figures continue to grow slowly.
According to figures from Public Health France, 7,787 people are currently hospitalized due to a Covid-19 infection, against 7,663 the day before, and 6,952 a week ago.
Hospital admissions of Covid-19 patients declined slightly yesterday compared to the previous day.
They are now rising to the same level as yesterday: Hospitals recorded 522 admissions in 24 hours, against 525 the day before, and 212, seven days ago.
1,333 people are now receiving critical care, compared to 1,300 the day before, and 1,145 on 11 November.
Despite the resumption of the epidemic, the government may soon obtain a new weapon to fight the fifth wave.
Merck's anti-covid pill which, according to the laboratory, would reduce the risk of developing a serious form and which is still being evaluated by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), could be available in France from mid-December , announced today the president of Merck France.
Health authorities have also identified 20,366 new cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, while 20,294 cases were identified yesterday and 12,603 a week ago.
In addition, 57 new deaths due to the epidemic are to be deplored against 50 yesterday, bringing to 118,333 in total, the number of people who have died from Covid-19 in France since the start of the epidemic.